Clinical Study of the Onset Time of Rocuronium

Park, Chong Min; Ryu, Keon Hee; Kim, Sung Nyeun; Ahn, Byoung Ik

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Rocuronium, a new nondepolarizing muscle relaxant, has been reported to develop a rapid onset of action and may be suitable as a component of a rapid-sequence induction of anesthesia. Therefore we have compared rocuronium with pancuronium and vecuronium about the onset time, intubation time, and tracheal intubating conditions. METHOD: Thirty patients were divided into three groups, who were receiving intravenously pancuronium 0.14 mg/kg, vecuronium 0.1 mg/kg and rocuronium 0.6 mg/kg respectively for tracheal intubation during induction of anesthesia. The onset time(Time from drug administration to zero count of PTC) and intubation time were checked using train of four responses of the adductor pollicis muscle after ulnar nerve stimulation(2 Hz, 40mA) every 10 seconds. The intubation conditions were recorded by a "blinded" assessor as excellent, good, fair or not possible. RESULT: The onset time of pancuronium, vecuronium and rocuronium was, 125.0+/-10.0, 256.0+/-18.4 and 90.0+/-22.1 sec. respectivly. The time of intubation was 94.0+/-12.6, 95.3+/-7.9, and 77.0+/-10.6sec.(pancuronium,vecuronium & rocuronium respectively). The onset time of rocuronium was significantly faster than the other two nondepolarizing muscle relaxants. The tracheal intubation with rocuronium was possible earlier than pancuronium or vecuronium but no statistical significance was observed and the condition of intubation was excellent compare to others in all ten patients.
CONCLUSION
Rocuronium may have advantages over existing non-depolarizing neuromuscular blocking agents with faster rate of development of neuromuscular block with excellent intubation condition after administraction of a dose 0.6 mg/kg(ED 95 x 2).