Recovery from profound rocuronium-induced neuromuscular blockade was significantly faster with sugammadex versus with neostigmine, suggesting that sugammadex has a unique ability to rapidly reverse profound rocuronium neuromuscular blockade.
The effects of transdermal scopolamine upon objective psychological performance assessments and self reports of feeling states, were investigated with volunteer subjects at sea. Scopolamine and placebo patches were administered on consecutive days in a counterbalanced order. Psychological performance was assessed 24 h following each transdermal patch. Choice reaction time and code substitution performance levels were not significantly changed, but letter cancellation errors were significantly more frequent following transdermal scopolamine. Transdermal scopolamine caused significantly more reports of dry mouth. More subjects were also unable to undertake the performance tests following scopolamine than placebo, due to difficulties in focusing on the test materials. However despite deleterious side effects with some personnel, others responded positively to the scopolamine patch. As noted by other workers, responses to the transdermal scopolamine patch seem to be quite variable.
Background: Residual neuromuscular blockade (NMB) is associated with increased risk of post-operative critical respiratory events. We compared incidence of residual NMB at tracheal extubation after reversal of rocuroniuminduced NMB with sugammadex versus neostigmine. Methods: Adult patients of American Society of Anesthesiologists Class 1-3, scheduled to undergo open abdominal surgery were included. Patients were randomized to receive sugammadex 4.0 mg/kg at ≥1-2 posttetanic counts after last rocuronium dose, or neostigmine 50mg/kg + glycopyrrolate 10mg/kg, according to usual care practices at each institution. Neuromuscular function was assessed using TOF-Watch ® SX. Anesthesiologists were blinded to the TOF-Watch recording, except to ask the TOF-Watch operator whether ≥1 PTC had been reached before administering reversal. Use of a peripheral nerve stimulator was permitted. Clinical criteria defined by the institution were used to determine when to perform extubation. Primary efficacy variable was incidence of residual NMB (train-of-four [TOF] ratio <0.9) at extubation. Safety parameters were assessed by a blinded safety assessor. Results: The intent-to-treat group comprised 97 patients (sugammadex, n=51; neostigmine, n=46). Among patients with valid TOF data, a TOF ratio of ≥0.9 was reached at or before extubation in 48 of 50 (96.0%) sugammadex and 17 of 43 (39.5%) neostigmine patients (P<0.0001). One sugammadex (2.0%) and 15 neostigmine patients (34.9%) were extubated at TOF ratios ≤0.7. Median (95% CI) time from study drug administration to recovery to a TOF ratio ≥0.9 was 2.0 (1.8-2.5) minutes for sugammadex (n=49) versus 8.0 (3.8-16.5) minutes for neostigmine (n=18) (P<0.0001). Safety was comparable between groups, with no clinical evidence of recurrence of NMB. Conclusions: Significantly more sugammadex-treated patients recovered to a TOF ratio ≥0.9 at extubation and did so significantly faster than neostigmine-treated patients. This study confirms that sugammadex is more effective than neostigmine in reducing potential for residual blockade in the absence of objective NMB monitoring.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.