Forty patients received tubocurarine in a dose greater than ED90. When neuromuscular function had recovered to amplitude of the first contraction of the train-of-four equals 10% of control, a small increment of atracurium or vecuronium was administered, repeating the same increment at each subsequent recovery to 10%. The intensity and duration of the neuromuscular block following the first incr...

Background The aim of our study was to evaluate the effects of two different doses of rocuronium bromide (0.5 mg/kg and 0.9 mg/kg) on the length of neuromuscular block, on the haemodynamic stability and on the side effects in patients of different ages. Methods We recruited 80 patients who underwent laparoscopic surgery (cholecystectomy, appendicectomy, varicocelectomy) belonging to ASA I–II cl...

In a controlled, randomized study, we evaluated duration of neuromuscular block in 80 patients undergoing routine abdominal surgery. Forty patients were aged 18-50 yr (control group) and 40 patients were more than 65 yr (elderly group). All patients had normal plasma creatinine concentrations. After induction of anaesthesia, patients were allocated randomly to receive either atracurium 0.5 mg k...

In a double-blind, randomized, controlled, prospective study, we have investigated the effects of vecuronium and laryngoscopy on the auditory evoked response (AER) of the electroencephalogram (EEG) in 40 ASA I and II patients under steady state anaesthesia. After stable anaesthesia had been achieved with 1.0 MAC of isoflurane and nitrous oxide in oxygen, patients were allocated randomly to rece...

We have investigated the effects of adenosine i.v. on neuromuscular block induced by rocuronium, vecuronium and pipecuronium in an in vivo guinea-pig sciatic nerve-tibialis anterior preparation. The ED50 of each neuromuscular blocker was determined from cumulative log dose-response regression lines (n = 14). In separate experiments, adenosine 0.1 mg kg-1 min-1 or the same volume of 0.9% NaCl wa...

We have compared the incidence of bradycardia in two groups of patients undergoing cholecystectomy. Twenty consecutive patients were allocated randomly to receive either vecuronium (n = 8) or alcuronium (n = 12) as part of a standard anaesthetic technique. Bradycardia was defined as a heart rate less than 50 beat min-1. Five episodes of bradycardia occurred with vecuronium and none with alcuron...

The effects of suxamethonium were studied on the onset time and duration of action of vecuronium or pancuronium in 45 adult patients anaesthetized with halothane and nitrous oxide. After an intubating dose of suxamethonium, the force of the evoked twitch returned to a value greater than control. The onset of the reduction in force produced by subsequent administration of vecuronium or pancuroni...

PURPOSE Olivopontocerebellar atrophy (OPCA), a variant of spinocerebellar degeneration (Shy-Drager syndrome), is a systemic degenerative disorder affecting the neurons of multiple nuclei. We investigated the sensitivity to vecuronium and the pupillary responses to various stresses in a patient with OPCA. CLINICAL FEATURES A 65-yr-old woman with a six-month history of OPCA underwent a left upp...