title: Vecuronium infusion requirements in pediatric patients during fentanyl-N2O-O2 anesthesia.
abstract: Eighty-one pediatric patients, ranging from neonates to adolescents, were studied during fentanyl-N2O-O2 anesthesia to determine for each of them the vecuronium infusion required to maintain 90-95% neuromuscular block (NMB). Electromyographic monitoring with train-of-four stimuli was used. The steady infusion rate was 62 +/- 15 (SD) micrograms.kg-1.hr-1 in neonates and infants. This rate was 40% of that required by children 3 to 10 years old (154 +/- 49 micrograms.kg-1.hr-1; P less than 0.05). In adolescents the vecuronium requirement was less than in children and was comparable to that reported in adults in other studies (89 +/- 13 micrograms.kg-1.hr-1). Despite considerable individual variation, the infusion rate could be reliably estimated on the basis of duration of greater than 90% NMB maintained by small doses of vecuronium given after intubation. Also, a close correlation existed between the duration of greater than 90% NMB maintained by 100 micrograms/kg of vecuronium and the individual infusion rate (r2 = 0.76).
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Children's Hospital, University of Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: O A
authors.initials: OA
authors.lastname: Meretoja
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D000758:Anesthesia; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005283:Fentanyl; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D009469:Neuromuscular Junction / Q000187:drug effects*; D009609:Nitrous Oxide; D013997:Time Factors; D014673:Vecuronium Bromide / Q000008:administration & dosage*
chemical_list: D014673:Vecuronium Bromide; D009609:Nitrous Oxide; D005283:Fentanyl