Update on neuromuscular pharmacology.
Since the introduction of d-tubocurarine into clinical practice, neuromuscular relaxants have been widely used in anaesthesia. Although their clinical use is easy, several points still require further attention and research. There is still a need for a drug with the clinical profile of succinylcholine but fewer unwanted side-effects. A better understanding of the effects of muscle relaxants on different muscles could help in their clinical use during the perioperative period. Much knowledge is needed about residual neuromuscular block and its detection in order to improve the quality of recovery from neuromuscular blockade. If some questions remain to be answered, several recent articles have increased our knowledge and should improve our clinical practice.
Meistelman
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Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, School of Medicine, Nancy, France. c.meistelman@chu-nancy.fr