The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of chronic dexamethasone (Dex) administration on rat diaphragm sensitivity to non-depolarizing muscle relaxants (NDMRs) and muscular nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) expression, which may help direct future administration of NDMRs. Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomized to receive a daily intraperitoneal injection of Dex (60...

BACKGROUND Neuromuscular blocking agents are an integral component of general anesthesia. In addition to their intended pharmacologic target on skeletal muscle nicotinic receptors, undesirable airway effects (i.e., bronchoconstriction) can result from neuromuscular blocking agents' affinity for airway muscarinic receptors. We questioned whether two new members of a bisquaternary nondepolarizing...

Background: Sugammadex is a new reversal agent for nondepolarizing neuromuscular blockade. We conducted the randomized clinical study to compare the recovery between sugammadex alone and combined use of sugammadex and neostigmine. Methods: Forty adult patients were randomly allocated to Group S (n=20) or Group SN (n=20). General anesthesia was induced and maintained with propofol and remifentan...

botulinum toxin a (bta) inhibits presynaptic release of acetylcholine at the neuromuscular junction and has reportedly been successful in the treatment of spastic disorders.to evaluate the effect of botulinum toxin on cerebral palsied children with spastic or mixed type of the disease, especially those patiens having spasticity as a cardinal symptom without joint contracture, we designed the fo...

I n a 5-yr-old boy with Duchenne’s muscular dystrophy (DMD), the repeated administration of mivacurium 0.13 mg/kg was associated with a normal dose-response relationship and time from end of injection to twitch recovery to 25% of control (DUR25%) and a twofold normal recovery index (time from 25% to 75% recovery). There was no difference between electromyogram (EMG) and mechanical twitch tensio...

BACKGROUND Residual neuromuscular blockade continues to be a clinical problem after surgical procedures. The purpose of this study was to determine the incidence of residual paralysis in the postanesthesia care unit (PACU) after a single intubating dose of twice of the 95% estimated dose (ED95) of a nondepolarizing muscle relaxant with an intermediate duration of action. METHODS Two hundred a...

PURPOSE OF REVIEW Rapid sequence intubation is the method of choice for intubation of the emergency department patient. The purpose of the present review is to address several controversies pertaining to emergency department rapid sequence intubation of children. RECENT FINDINGS The topics covered in this review include the determination of the appropriate clinician to perform emergency depar...