Articles: general-anesthesia.
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Comparative Study
[Atracurium: neuromuscular blockade in repeated administration].
The neuromuscular blocking action of repeated injections of atracurium and vecuronium was studied in 74 surgical patients during balanced anaesthesia (methohexitone or etomidate, intubation after suxamethonium, fentanyl, droperidol, N2O). The initial bolus dose (ID) of atracurium was 0.25 mg/kg and of vecuronium 0.05 mg/kg followed by repeated increments (RD) of atracurium 0.1 mg/kg and vecuronium 0.0125 mg/kg when neuromuscular function (EMG) had recovered to about 30% of pre-relaxant control. Dose-response relationships revealed atracurium to be about 1/5 as potent as vecuronium; the ED50 of atracurium was 0.13 +/- 0.03 mg/kg and of vecuronium 0.023 +/- 0.007 mg/kg. ⋯ Neither cardiovascular side-effects nor signs of histamine release were observed after both relaxants in our particular dose range. It is concluded, that atracurium is a favourable blocker for anaesthetic practice: The time of onset is approximately the same compared with vecuronium. The duration of action, however, is slightly longer but still truly intermediate long.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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Several studies have shown that surgical patients cannot consciously recall or recognize events to which they had been exposed during general anesthesia. Might evidence of memory for intraoperative events be revealed through the performance of a postoperative test that does not require remembering to be deliberate or intentional? Results of the present study, involving the recognition and spelling of semantically biased homophones, suggest a negative answer to this question and imply that intraoperative events cannot be remembered postoperatively, either with or without awareness.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
[Vecuronium: onset of effect and intubation conditions in comparison to pancuronium and suxamethonium].
The onset of neuromuscular blockade following the i.v. injection of vecuronium and pancuronium 0.05, 0.08 or 0.1 mg/kg and suxamethonium 0.5 or 1.0 mg/kg was studied in 304 patients during induction of anaesthesia by means of the compound action potential derived from the adductor pollicis muscle, which was indirectly stimulated via the ulnar nerve. The intubation conditions 1-5 min after injection were assessed using a scoring system related to ease of laryngoscopy, movement of vocal cords and coughing, and reflex movements of extremities. Development of motor blockade was time- and dose-dependent. ⋯ Although suxamethonium acts the fastest and tracheal intubation can be achieved within 0.5-1.0 min, its use involves certain side effects and disadvantages. Vecuronium acts considerably faster than pancuronium and good or excellent intubation conditions are present within 2 min. Suxamethonium is no longer the muscle relaxant of choice for intubation except for crash intubation, e.g., in patients with a full stomach.