CJA
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Submit a scholarly reply
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when eLetters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by HORROW, J. C.
Right arrow Articles by LAMBERT, D. H.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow Articles by HORROW, J. C.
Right arrow Articles by LAMBERT, D. H.

Canadian Journal of Anesthesia, Vol 31, 528-533, Copyright © 1984 by Canadian Anesthesiologists' Society

Reports of Investigation: The Search for an Optimal Interval between Pretreatment Dose of D-Tubocurarine and Succinylcholine

JAN CHARLES HORROW MD1 and DONALD H. LAMBERT PHD MD1

1 Department of Anesthesia, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts

Address correspondence to: Dr. Jan Charles Horrow, Department of Anesthesia, 75 Francis Street, Boston, MA 02115.

A study was conducted to determine the optimal interval between the administration of d-tubocurarine (dTc) and succinylcholine (SCh) with regard to onset and duration of neuromuscular block and presence of fasciculations and postoperative myalgias.

Forty female patients received dTc 3 mg·70 kg-1 prior to SCh 1.5 mg·kg-1. The interval between drugs was 0, 1, 3, 5, or 7 minutes. Transduced thumb adduction recorded block onset and recovery. Fasciculations were visually detected. Myalgias were assessed on postoperative interview.

Pretreatment interval did not affect the onset or recovery of neuromuscular block. Postoperative myalgias were also independent of pretreatment timing. Fasciculations were blocked with 3, 5, or 7 minute intervals, but not with 0 or 1 minute intervals. Therefore, three minutes appear to be the optimal time interval between administration of dTc and SCh since shorter intervals do not inhibit fasciculations and longer intervals do not afford any additional advantages.

Key Words: NEUROMUSCULAR RELAXANTS: d-tubocurarine, succinylcholine • MUSCLE RELAXANTS: fasciculation






HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
Copyright © 1984 by the Canadian Anesthesiologists' Society.