title: Neostigmine antagonism of succinylcholine phase II block: a comparison with pancuronium.
abstract: To assess the efficacy of neostigmine antagonism of succinylcholine phase II block, succinylcholine infusions were given to 17 patients for durations varying from 44 to 192 minutes. A control group (17 patients) received a pancuronium infusion for similar times. Ninety per cent neuromuscular block was maintained in these two groups by adjustment of the infusion rates and, in a third group, with intermittent doses of pancuronium. Neuromuscular transmission was monitored with train-of-four stimulation every 12 seconds and anaesthesia was maintained with N2O-O2-enflurane. Ten minutes after the infusion was stopped, atropine and neostigmine were given to all patients who received pancuronium and to 11 patients in the succinylcholine group whose train-of-four ratio (T4/T1) was less than 0.7. During the subsequent 15 minutes, recovery was more rapid in the succinylcholine group than in either the pancuronium-infusion or pancuronium-bolus groups. It is concluded that succinylcholine-induced phase II block can be safely and rapidly antagonized with neostigmine.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000187:drug effects; D009388:Neostigmine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009469:Neuromuscular Junction / Q000187:drug effects*; D010197:Pancuronium / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D013390:Succinylcholine / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D009388:Neostigmine; D013390:Succinylcholine; D010197:Pancuronium