Abstract

In 15 patients (ASA I-II) undergoing intraabdominal gynaecological surgery, muscle paralysis for tracheal intubation and surgery was achieved by a combined bolus and demand infusion of vecuronium. The initial loading dose of 67 micrograms kg-1 and the rate of subsequent infusion were determined by evaluation of the tactile twitch response to train-of-four (TOF) stimulation of the ulnar nerve while the neuromuscular blockade obtained was recorded blindly for control on the contralateral arm. A maintenance dose of 4.9 mg h-1 (2.0-7.6 mg h-1) produced a smooth course of blockade with minimum and maximum values of twitch height during infusion of 2% and 12%, respectively. A period of 15.9 min elapsed from the end of infusion to a TOF-ratio of 0.7, when neostigmine 2.5 mg was administered at the point of two palpable twitches to TOF-stimulation. Simple tactile evaluation of peripheral nerve stimulation is sufficient to determine the infusion rate of vecuronium required to produce stable and appropriate neuromuscular blockade during intra-abdominal surgery.

Full Text
Paper version not known

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.