title: Potency and recovery characteristics of rocuronium mixed with sodium bicarbonate.
abstract: Sodium bicarbonate may be added to rocuronium to decrease pain on injection. However, this mixture may result in the formation of carbon dioxide bubbles. We investigated whether the addition of sodium bicarbonate to rocuronium alters neuromuscular blockade, in 120 patients randomly assigned to receive rocuronium mixed with saline or bicarbonate 8.4%, either in varying doses (for dose-response measurements; 60 patients) or a fixed dose of 600 μg.kg(-1) (for time-course measurements; 60 patients). Sodium bicarbonate resulted in a left-shift of the rocuronium dose-response curve. The effective doses of rocuronium to produce 95% twitch depression were 331.6 (95% CI: 310.4-352.8) and 284.3 (95% CI: 262.0-306.6) μg.kg(-1) mixed with isotonic saline or sodium bicarbonate, respectively (p < 0.001). The mean (SD) onset times of rocuronium 600 μg.kg(-1) were 3.6 (0.6) and 2.7 (0.5) min in the corresponding groups, respectively (p < 0.001). The mean (SD) times to 95% recovery were 35.8 (5.8) and 47.9 (7.1) min, respectively (p < 0.001). We conclude that the mixing of sodium bicarbonate with rocuronium enhances the potency, shortens the onset and prolongs the duration of action.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Hanyang University Hospital, Haengdang dong, Sungdong gu, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: K S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: J T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Yeon
authors.forename: J K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Suh
authors.forename: I H
authors.initials: IH
authors.lastname: Sung
authors.forename: I C
authors.initials: IC
authors.lastname: Shin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000732:Androstanols / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000762:Anesthesia Recovery Period; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004357:Drug Synergism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019148:Neuromuscular Blockade; D009469:Neuromuscular Junction / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D003473:Neuromuscular Nondepolarizing Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000077123:Rocuronium; D017693:Sodium Bicarbonate / Q000494:pharmacology*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000732:Androstanols; D003473:Neuromuscular Nondepolarizing Agents; D017693:Sodium Bicarbonate; D000077123:Rocuronium