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British Journal of Anaesthesia, 1989, Vol. 62, No. 2 184-187
© 1989 The Board of Management and Trustees of the British Journal of Anaesthesia

research-article

IS VECURONIUM A LONG-ACTING NEUROMUSCULAR BLOCKING AGENT IN NEONATES AND INFANTS?

O. A. MERETOJA, M.D.

Department of Anaesthesiology, Children's Hospital, University of Helsinki Helsinki, Finland

Vecuronium was used as the only neuromuscular blocking agent in 81 paediatric patients (neonates to adolescents) during fentanyl and nitrous oxide anaesthesia. The thenar electromyogram was used to monitor neuromuscular blockade. Neonates and infants had a mean requirement of vecuronium 105 µg kg–1 during the first 1 h of anaesthesia, to establish and maintain 90–98% neuromuscular blockade, compared with a mean requirement of 217 µg kg–1 for children aged 3–10 yr (P < 0.05). Vecuronium 100 and 150 µg kg–1 maintained neuromuscular blockade > 90% for 59 and 110 min, respectively, in neonates and infants, but only for 18 and 38 min in children and for 37 and 68 min in adolescents (P < 0.05). Vecuronium may be regarded as a long-acting neuromuscular blocking agent in patients aged less than 1 yr.

Present address: Department of Anaesthesia, Royal Children's Hospital, Flemington Road, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia.


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