Sevoflurane prolongs the action of rocuronium: a beneficial effect for short time procedures in ENT surgery

Luminiţa Chiuţu¹, R. Nemeş²
1) Clinica A.T.I. 2) Clinica Chirurgie, I Universitatea de Medicină şi Farmacie, Craiova

Abstract

Aim. To demonstrate that the association of sevoflurane with rocuronium prolongs the muscle relaxant effect of rocuronium, allowing performances of short time procedures (30 minutes on average) in ENT surgery, without re-administration of muscle relaxants.

Material and method. 60 patients (30 males and 30 females, aged between 35 and 50 years), ASA II and III A, undergoing microsurgical procedures (vocal cord polypus resection) under general anesthesia were selected. The patients were divided into two groups: A, without sevoflurane and B, with sevoflurane association. The following parameters were analyzed: blood pressure, heart rate, pulsoximetry, the offset time of the relaxant effect and the moment when spontaneous breathing recovered.

Results. The muscle relaxant effect was significantly longer (25±4 minutes) in patients with sevoflurane association (group B) than in those without sevofluran (group A - 12±3 minutes) who required a re-administration of the muscle relaxant agent in 83.3 percent of cases. There were no significant differences between the two groups regarding blood pressure level, heart rate, pulsoximetry and recovery time of the spontaneous breathing.

Conclusions. 1. Sevoflurane prolongs the muscle relaxant effect of rocuronium. 2. The sevoflurane-rocuronium association offers a perfect immobilization of the vocal cords during the short-time surgical procedures in ENT surgery (i.e. resection of the vocal cord polypus), with no need for the administration of muscle relaxant agents.

Key words: sevoflurane, rocuronium, ENT surgery

Sevofluranul prelungeşte durate de acţiune a rocuroniului: efect benefic pentru intervenţiile de scurtă durată în chirurgia O.R.L.

Jurnalul Român de Anestezie Terapie intensivă 2005 Vol.12 Nr.1, 24-26