title: Edrophonium antagonism of atracurium during enflurane anaesthesia.
abstract: To determine the influence of enflurane on the ability of edrophonium to antagonize atracurium block, dose-response curves were constructed for edrophonium in the presence of 0%, 1% and 2% enflurane, and for 2% enflurane discontinued at the time of administration of edrophonium. One hundred ASA Physical Status I or II patients (four groups of 25), selected randomly and undergoing elective surgery, received atracurium 0.5 mg kg-1, with thiopentone, nitrous oxide and enflurane. Supplementary doses of fentanyl were given if needed. Train-of-four (TOF) stimulation was applied every 12 s, and the force of contraction of the adductor pollicis muscle was recorded. When first twitch height (T1) had recovered spontaneously to 10% of initial value, edrophonium 0.1, 0.2, 0.4 or 1 mg kg-1 was administered by random allocation. Enflurane concentrations remained constant, except that enflurane was discontinued in 50% of the patients who had received 2% enflurane. Monitoring was continued for at least 10 min, at which time T1 and TOF ratio (T4/T1) were measured. The ED80 for T1 recovery depended on the dose of enflurane: 0.08 (SEM 0.03), 0.21 (0.06) and 0.42 (0.18) mg kg-1 for 0%, 1% and 2% enflurane, respectively (P less than 0.005). With enflurane 2% discontinued, the ED80 was 0.095 (0.050) mg kg-1 (P less than 0.02 compared with 2% enflurane).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesia, Royal Victoria Hospital, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: S S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Gill
authors.forename: D R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Bevan
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Donati
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000769:Anesthesia, Inhalation; D001279:Atracurium / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004347:Drug Interactions; D004491:Edrophonium / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004737:Enflurane / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D001279:Atracurium; D004491:Edrophonium; D004737:Enflurane