Neuromuscular effects of vecuronium and neostigmine in Montreal and Paris

Abstract

The potency of vecuronium was reported to be greater in Montreal than (28,5 5:6,8 In 1969, Katz et al. ~ reported that the maximum blockade attained after a single dose of d-tubocurarine or sueeinylcholine was greater and the duration of action was longer in New York than in London. The study was performed before dose-response techniques became common practice in the evaluation of muscle relaxants, and before a standard mode of stimulation, the train-of-four, 2 was introduced into clinical use and research. L'intervalle entre l~njection et le bloc maximum dtait de (moyenne • ET) 3,9 5:1,3 min~ Paris et 4,5 + 1,3 min~ Montrdal (NS). La dur~e d'action, c'est-~-dire le temps entre l'injection de vEcuronium et la rdcupdration de 25%, dtait plus courte h ParisRecently, Fiset et al. 3 performed another transatlantic study, and compared the dose-response curves for vecuronium between Montl~al and Paris. In spite of similar demographic data in both centres and an identical anaesthetic and neuromuscular technique, the Paris doseresponse curve was shifted to the fight by 30%, that is, vecuronium was more potent in Montreal. The difference could not be explained by differences in age, sex, weight or body habitus, because these variables were similar in both cities. Disposition of the drug probably had little effect on these differences, because dose-response data are CAN J ANAESTH 1994 / 41: 10 / pp908-12

Age related variability in the effects of mivacurium in paediatric surgical patients

“…It was suggested that the 30-40% transatlantic difference in potency and duration of action of vecuronium was most likely due to differences in protein binding or sensitivity of the neuromuscular junction. 19 The lack of difference in time course of mivacufium suggests that there were no details of monitoring, anaesthetic administration or epidemiological factors affecting plasma cholinesterase activity which differed between Pittsburgh and Helsinki.…”