Use of rocuronium administered by continuous infusion in dogs.
OBJECTIVE
A clinical trial to determine whether continuous infusion administration technique was suitable for maintaining neuromuscular blockade with rocuronium bromide in dogs.


METHODS
Twenty-two dogs, 10 males and 12 females, median age 2 years 4 months, median weight 32 kg undergoing elective surgical procedures under general anaesthesia: ASA classification I or II.


METHODS
After induction of anaesthesia, neuromuscular function was evaluated using train-of-four (TOF) stimulation of the dorsal buccal branch of the facial nerve. A bolus dose of 0.5 mg kg(-1) rocuronium was administered intravenously and an infusion of 0.2 mg kg(-1) hour(-1) was started immediately. Neuromuscular blockade was assessed visually by counting the number of twitches observed during TOF stimulation repeated at 10-second intervals.


RESULTS
The bolus dose of rocuronium abolished the response to TOF stimulation in 21 of the 22 dogs. The median onset time of neuromuscular blockade (complete loss of all four twitches) was 82 seconds (range 38-184 seconds). Median infusion duration was 76 minutes (range 20.3-146 minutes).


CONCLUSIONS
This protocol of rocuronium administration was considered to be effective in dogs. Constant infusion of rocuronium is easily applicable to clinical practice and further work is required on infusion titration.
Alderson
Briony
B
The University of Liverpool Small Animal Referral Hospital, Liverpool, UK. brionya@liv.ac.uk
Senior
J Mark
JM
Jones
Ronald S
RS
Dugdale
Alexandra H A
AH
D000732:Androstanols / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000768:Anesthesia, General / Q000662:veterinary; D000818:Animals; D004285:Dogs; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D008297:Male; D019148:Neuromuscular Blockade / Q000662:veterinary*; D003473:Neuromuscular Nondepolarizing Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000077123:Rocuronium
D000732:Androstanols; D003473:Neuromuscular Nondepolarizing Agents; D000077123:Rocuronium