Effect of Doxapram on the Recovery from Vecuronium and Atracurium Neuromuscualr Block

Park, Myung Hye; Moon, Kyung Hye; Lee, Myung Ae

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of doxapram on the rates of spontaneous and neostigmine-induced recovery from neuromuscular block with vecuronium and atracurium. Following intravenous injection of either vecuronium (40 patients) or atracurium (40 patients), recovery index (RI) was measured without administering either doxapram or neostigmine (Group 1), or after administration of a combination of neostigmine 40 ug/kg and doxapram 1 mg/kg (Group 2), neostigmine 40 ug/kg (Group 3) or doxapram 1 mg/kg (Group 4) when twitch tension returned to 25% block of train of four response, each of the four group had 10 patients. The results were such that RI was significantly prolonged after vecuronium in the presence of doxapram compared with Group 1 (13.5 min vs 8.2 min). There was no significant difference in the RI after atracurium in the presence of doxapram compared with Group 1 (7.0 min vs 7.1 min). There was rapid recovery which was significant when neostigmine was administered with or without doxapram (2.4 min vs 2.3 min respectively after vecuronium; 2.3 min vs 2.4 min respectively after atracurium). The authors conclude that administration of doxapram in situation where neuromuscular block with vecuronium is not adequately antagonized does not contribute to rapid recovery from neuromuscular block.