title: [Muscle relaxants for kidney transplantation. A comparison between vecuronium and atracurium].
abstract: A total of 26 patients with end-stage renal failure were assigned randomly to receive either atracurium (A) or vecuronium (V) for intra-operative relaxation during kidney transplantation. Following the induction of balanced anesthesia an initial bolus dose of A 0,5 mg/kg body weight (BW) or V 0,1 mg/kg BW was administered. Relaxation was maintained by repeated doses of A 0,1 mg/kg BW or V 0,02 mg/kg BW whenever the twitch height (T1) recovered to 20% of the control value. Neuromuscular function was monitored throughout using the train-of-four twitch technique. There were no significant differences in time of onset (A: 219 +/- 87 s, V: 206 +/- 70 s), initial clinical duration (T1 = 0% to T1 = 20%; A: 39 +/- 12 min, V 39 +/- 8 min) or recovery index (A: 19 +/- 6 min, V: 22 +/- 7 min). The clinical duration (T1 = 20% to T1 = 20%) was significantly different for A, with 27 +/- 9 min than for V, with 32 +/- 7 min (P less than 0.05, Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney U-Test; all values means +/- standard deviation). Reversal of relaxants was mandatory according to electromyographic and clinical criteria in only one patient in the A group but in 5 in the V group (P less than 0.05, Fisher's exact test). We conclude that A might be more suitable in patients with renal insufficiency and that monitoring of neuromuscular transmission is highly valuable in this risk group.
authors.affiliation: Klinik für Anaesthesiologie, Universität Heidelberg.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bach
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Layer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001279:Atracurium / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016030:Kidney Transplantation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic; D009469:Neuromuscular Junction / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000503:physiopathology; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D014673:Vecuronium Bromide / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D001279:Atracurium; D014673:Vecuronium Bromide
vernacular_title: Muskelrelaxanzien zur Nierentransplantation. Ein Vergleich zwischen Vecuronium und Atracurium.