title: [On the monitoring of neuromuscular blockade during anaesthesia (author's transl)].
abstract: Objective evaluation of muscle relaxation during surgery is possible only by indirect stimulation of a skeletal muscle by means of a peripheral nerve stimulator. Most frequently the ulnar nerve is electrically stimulated and the resulting contraction of the hand muscles, i.e., twitching of the fingers is observed. This direct observation of the finger twitches induced by a nerve stimulator provides valuable information a) on the actual magnitude of neuromuscular blockade, b) on the development of a dual block following suxamethonium, c) on the need for more muscle relaxant, d) on the reversal of muscle paralysis by a cholinesterase inhibiting agent, and finally e) on the differential diagnosis of prolonged postoperative apnoea. By employing a nerve stimulator, the neuromuscular blocking agents can be titrated according to the surgical requirements and overdosage can be avoided. The clinical judgement of muscle relaxation by the anaesthesiologist should be accompanied by a more quantitative and objective evaluation, making use of the nerve stimulator.
mesh_terms: D000758:Anesthesia; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D005385:Fingers; D006801:Humans; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000187:drug effects*; D009125:Muscle Relaxants, Central / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013390:Succinylcholine / Q000494:pharmacology; D014459:Ulnar Nerve
chemical_list: D009125:Muscle Relaxants, Central; D013390:Succinylcholine
vernacular_title: Zur Uberwachung der Muskelrelaxation während der Narkose