title: A comparison of the onset and clinical duration of high doses of cisatracurium and rocuronium.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the onset and clinical duration of cisatracurium and rocuronium in equipotent doses in balanced opioid/isoflurane anesthesia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Randomized, controlled study.
  
  
  METHODS
  University hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  40 healthy patients scheduled for elective surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients underwent anesthesia induction with thiopental or propofol with a cisatracurium intubating dose of either 0.15 or 0.2 mg/kg or a rocuronium dose of either 0.9 or 1.2 mg/kg. These doses correspond to three and four times the ED95 dose.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The onset time and time to 25% recovery of baseline first twitch in a train-of-four were determined using an accelerometric sensor. Rocuronium had a faster onset time that cisatracurium at equipotent doses (3 x ED95: 134 vs. 220 sec respectively, and at 4 x ED95: 95 vs. 162 sec). Recovery tended to be faster, but not statistically different for cisatracurium compared to rocuronium.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  With equipotent intubating doses of rocuronium and cisatracurium, rocuronium produces a more rapid onset of muscle relaxation. The data suggest a tendency toward more rapid clinical recovery of cisatracurium compared to equipotent doses of rocuronium, although these differences were not statistically significant.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesia, Stanford University School of Medicine, CA 94305, USA.
authors.forename: G K
authors.initials: GK
authors.lastname: Lighthall
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Jamieson
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Katolik
authors.forename: J G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Brock-Utne
mesh_terms: D000732:Androstanols / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001279:Atracurium / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009466:Neuromuscular Blocking Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D003473:Neuromuscular Nondepolarizing Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000077123:Rocuronium
chemical_list: D000732:Androstanols; D009466:Neuromuscular Blocking Agents; D003473:Neuromuscular Nondepolarizing Agents; D001279:Atracurium; C101584:cisatracurium; D000077123:Rocuronium