The author discusses various procedures for assessing the patient's degree of muscle relaxation utilizing a peripheral nerve stimulator. Based on clinical observation, a preferred method is offered. To obtain the relaxation necessary for certain surgical procedures, the usual technique is to administer a pre-calculated dose of non-depolarizing muscle relaxant. The most common method to calculat...

My objective is to analyze the efficiency of remifentanil-propofol and alfentanil-propofol combinations for laryngoscopic endotracheal intubation in the absence of muscle relaxants. This analysis reviews the work by Imani et al. (1). Muscle relaxants are frequently used to facilitate endotracheal intubation during anesthesia induction. However, the administration of short-acting depolarizing mu...

Sugammadex is the first selective relaxant binding agent. It allows rapid reversal of any degree of neuromuscular blockade induced by steroidal neuromuscular blocking agents. Sugammadex acts by encapsulation of the neuromuscular blocking agent. This prevents the drug from acting on prejunctional and postjunctional nicotinic receptors, allowing acetylcholine to activate these receptors, and resu...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Myasthenia gravis (MG) is an autoimmune neurologic disease that affects the postsynaptic portion of the neuromuscular junction. It represents a challenge for anesthesiologists due to the diversity of disease manifestations and possibility of postoperative respiratory complications. The objective of this study was to demonstrate the importance of adequate monitoring of ...

Neuromuscular blocking agents (NMBAs) have been widely used to control patients who need to be immobilized for some kind of medical intervention, such as an invasive procedure or synchronism with mechanical ventilation. The purpose of this monograph is to review the pharmacology of the NMBAs, to compare the main differences between the neuromuscular junction in neonates, infants, toddlers and a...