title: Clinical pharmacokinetics of alcuronium chloride in man.
abstract: The pharmacokinetic behaviour of alcuronium is described for nineteen patients undergoing anaesthesia for elective surgery. Eleven patients received a single bolus intravenous dose of 0.25 mg/kg, while 8 patients required additional doses of 0.125 mg/kg. A two-compartment open model was found to describe adequately both the single dose and multiple dose data for the majority of patients. No significant differences were found in the model-independent pharmacokinetic parameters between the single and multiple dose studies. Mean values for the pooled data for the half-life (t 1/2 beta), apparent volume of distribution (Vd beta), volume of distribution at steady-state (Vdss), volume of the central compartment (Vc) and plasma clearance (Clp) were 198.75 min, 24.261, 20.891, 8.181 and 90.22 ml/min respectively. Evoked muscle twitch response was monitored in 17 of the patients to assess the degree of relaxant blockade. The bolus dose of alcuronium produced complete block in 9 patients and between 95 and 99% block in the remainder. The time of onset to maximum block ranged from 3 to 30 min with the concurrently measured plasma levels of alcuronium being 0.79 to 2.25 microgram/ml. The time taken following bolus administration to 5% recovery (95% paralysis) was a mean of 42 min and the corresponding mean alcuronium plasma concentration was 0.78 microgram/ml.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000443:Alcuronium / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D006207:Half-Life; D006801:Humans; D007700:Kinetics; D008297:Male; D008657:Metabolic Clearance Rate; D008875:Middle Aged; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D010243:Paralysis / Q000139:chemically induced; D013997:Time Factors; D014117:Toxiferine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*
chemical_list: D014117:Toxiferine; D000443:Alcuronium