title: Effect of thermal injury on the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of atracurium in humans.
abstract: Thermal injury causes resistance to many nondepolarizing muscle relaxants including d-tubocurarine, metocurine, pancuronium, and atracurium. To evaluate the role of pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics in this phenomenon, the disposition and effect of atracurium (0.5 mg/kg iv) were studied in thermally injured patients (5 males, 16-43 yr) in comparison with that in nonburned control patients (3 males, 1 female, 24-53 yr). The decline of plasma atracurium concentration with time was biexponential in both groups of patients. There were no significant differences in the mean value of any pharmacokinetic parameter (clearance, V1, V beta, alpha and beta half-lives). The time course of effect was also similar, although the maximum twitch depression was significantly smaller (66.1% vs. 100% maximal twitch depression) and time to recover to 50% of maximal twitch depression was significantly shorter (14.2 vs. 52 min) in thermally injured patients. Patients with thermal injury had an EC50 (plasma concentration of atracurium required for 50% of the maximum possible response) 3.4 times that of control patients. Plasma-free fraction of atracurium in the thermally injured patients was 75% that in controls, and free EC50 (the product of free fraction and EC50) of the thermally injured group was 2.7 times that of controls. The results of this study confirm a pharmacodynamic mechanism for the majority of resistance to atracurium, with a diminished free fraction in plasma also contributing to this effect.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutics, University of Washington, Seattle 98195.
authors.forename: P H
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Marathe
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Dwersteg
authors.forename: E G
authors.initials: EG
authors.lastname: Pavlin
authors.forename: R H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Haschke
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Heimbach
authors.forename: J T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Slattery
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001279:Atracurium / Q000097:blood / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002056:Burns / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009469:Neuromuscular Junction / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D001279:Atracurium