title: Alcuronium: a pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic update.
abstract: Alcuronium may be considered a muscle relaxant of historical rather than clinical significance. However, recent information from the manufacturer revealed its persisting clinical use in 26 countries worldwide. Thus, a pharmacodynamic-pharmacokinetic update appears mandatory. An intravenous (IV) single-bolus injection of alcuronium (0.25 mg/kg = ED95) was administered to 10 patients undergoing maxillofacial surgery during nitrous-oxide opioid anesthesia. Alcuronium neuromuscular block (evoked twitch tension), plasma concentration, and renal elimination (high-performance liquid chromatography [HPLC] assay) were measured during the 12-h after its administration. The time of onset, the time from end of injection to recovery to 25% of control twitch tension (DUR25%), and the recovery index were 2.2 +/- 1.2, 54 +/- 14, and 37 +/- 11 min, respectively (mean +/- SD). Two hours after the injection of alcuronium, partial recovery from the neuromuscular block had occurred from 100% to 26% +/- 24% depression of twitch tension, although less than 25% of the injected dose was recovered from the urine. The 12-h plasma concentration and urinary recovery were 0.1 +/- 0.08 mg/L (one-sixth of the 50% inhibitory concentration) and 61% +/- 20%, respectively. Recovery from neuromuscular block was dominated by intercompartmental distribution rather than by renal elimination. Since alcuronium does not undergo biodegradation, our data may serv as a reference for the complex pharmacokinetics of readily metabolized modern muscle relaxants. The long plasma half-life with slow excretion merits attention with respect to the erroneous original perception that alcuronium was an intermediate-acting muscle relaxant.
authors: Department of Anesthesiology, University of Köln, Germany.
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Diefenbach
authors: T
authors: T
authors: Künzer
authors: W
authors: W
authors: Buzello
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Theisohn
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000443:Alcuronium / Q000097:blood / Q000493:pharmacokinetics* / Q000652:urine; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009407:Nerve Block; D009469:Neuromuscular Junction / Q000187:drug effects*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000443:Alcuronium