BACKGROUND Low degrees of residual paralysis (i.e., a train-of-four [TOF] ratio > 0.4) are relatively frequent, difficult to detect, and still potentially harmful. Unfortunately, the appropriate dose of anticholinesterase for this situation has not been determined. This may be of clinical interest because a high dose of neostigmine given at a shallow level of neuromuscular block may produce neu...

We designed an educational software package, RELAX, for teaching first-year anesthesiology residents about the pharmacology and clinical management of neuromuscular blockade. The software uses an interactive, problem-based approach and moves the user through cases in an operating room environment. It can be run on personal computers with Microsoft Windows (Microsoft Corp., Redmond, WA) and comb...

This study compared the orbicularis oculi muscle to the adductor pollicis muscle during vecuronium blockade. The orbicularis oculi muscle was found to be more resistant to and recovered from vecuronium neuromuscular blockade faster than the adductor pollicis muscle. Thus, caution should be utilized when assessing neuromuscular block with the orbicularis oculi muscle.

We have investigated the potential of rocuronium 0.6 mg kg-1 (2xED95) and 0.9 mg kg-1 (3xED95) for rapid sequence induction in 100 children, aged 3-7 yr. Intubating conditions with the two different doses of rocuronium were assessed in 70 children (n = 35 in each group) undergoing elective surgery. Intubation was carried out by mimicking rapid sequence induction, and intubation conditions were ...

The aim of this study was to examine differences in prejunctional effects of different relaxants by measuring the train-of-four (TOF) fade during the onset and recovery of neuromuscular block. The relaxants studied were atracurium (225 micrograms.kg-1), mivacurium (65 micrograms.kg-1) rocuronium (300 micrograms.kg-1) and vecuronium (40 micrograms.kg-1). The TOF ratios were measured at approxima...

The availability of sugammadex allows greater flexibility in the use of rocuronium and vecuronium during anaesthesia and surgery. The neuromuscular block induced by both drugs can be reversed from both superficial and deep levels of block by adjusting the dose of sugammadex. The dose of sugammadex for reversal of shallow block produced by these neuromuscular blocking drugs is approximately 2 mg...

We have studied the dose-response relationship for neostigmine in 36 adult (ages 18-50 yr) and 36 elderly (ages > 70 yr) subjects during antagonism of neuromuscular block induced by vecuronium. All patients received vecuronium 0.08 mg kg-1 and neuromuscular block was monitored mechanomyo-graphically using the train-of-four (TOF) mode of stimulation. Six patients of each age group were allocated...

BACKGROUND The incidence of residual paralysis, i.e., a mechanomyographic train-of-four (TOF) ratio (T4/T1) less than 0.9, remains frequent. Routine acceleromyography has been proposed to detect residual paralysis in clinical practice. Although acceleromyographic data are easy to obtain, they differ from mechanomyographic data, with which they are not interchangeable. The current study aimed to...

An increase in the demand by local surgeons for neuromuscular block during strabismus surgery, and the forced duction test in particular, led us to review the literature and conduct a regional survey of anaesthetic techniques used. A questionnaire was distributed to 379 anaesthetists in the region and 264 responses were received. The results demonstrated that 55% of paediatric patients and 66% ...