Antagonism of atracurium with neostigmine. Effect of dose on speed of recovery

2023 American Society of Anesthesiologists Practice Guidelines for Monitoring and Antagonism of Neuromuscular Blockade: A Report by the American Society of Anesthesiologists Task Force on Neuromuscular Blockade

These practice guidelines provide evidence-based recommendations on the management of neuromuscular monitoring and antagonism of neuromuscular blocking agents during and after general anesthesia. The guidance focuses primarily on the type and site of monitoring and the process of antagonizing neuromuscular blockade to reduce residual neuromuscular blockade.

Neostigmine-based reversal of intermediate acting neuromuscular blocking agents to prevent postoperative residual paralysis: A systematic review

BACKGROUND

Neostigmine is widely used to antagonise residual paralysis. Over the last decades, the benchmark of acceptable neuromuscular recovery has increased progressively to a train-of-four (TOF) ratio of at least 0.9. Raising this benchmark may impact on the efficacy of neostigmine.

OBJECTIVE(S)

The systematic review evaluates the efficacy of neostigmine to antagonise neuromuscular block to attain a TOF ratio of at least 0.9.

DESIGN

We performed a systematic search of the literature from January 1992 to December 2015.

DATA SOURCES OR SETTING

PubMed, EMBASE and the Cochrane Controlled Clinical Trials database were searched for randomised controlled human studies. Search was performed without language restrictions, using the following free text terms: 'neostigmine', 'sugammadex', 'edrophonium' or 'pyridostigmine' AND 'neuromuscular block', 'reversal' or 'reverse'.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

Studies were accepted for inclusion if they used quantitative neuromuscular monitoring and neostigmine as the reversal agent. Selected trials were checked by two of the authors for data integrity. Trials relevant for inclusion had to report the number of patients included, the type of anaesthetic maintenance, the type of neuromuscular blocking agent used, the reversal agent and dose used, the depth of neuromuscular block when neostigmine was administered and the reversal time (time from injection of neostigmine until a TOF ratio ≥0.9 was attained).

RESULTS

19 trials were eligible for quantitative analysis. In patients with deep residual block [T1 (first twitch height) <10%] 70 μg kg neostigmine was used (five trials, 118 patients), and the mean reversal time was 17.1 min (95% confidence interval (CI) [12.4 to 21.8]). In patients with moderate residual block (T1 10% to <25%) the mean neostigmine dose was 56 μg kg (seven trials, 342 patients), and the mean reversal time was 11.3 min (95% CI [9.2 to 13.4]). In patients with a shallow residual block (T1 ≥ 25%) the mean neostigmine dose was 40 μg kg (13 trials, 535 patients), and the mean reversal time was 8.0 min (95% CI [6.8 to 9.2]).

CONCLUSION

Based on the findings of this systematic review, we recommend that the administration of neostigmine be delayed until an advanced degree of prereversal recovery has occurred (i.e. a T1 >25% of baseline), or that a recovery time longer than 15 min be accepted.

Antagonism of profound cisatracurium and rocuronium block: the role of objective assessment of neuromuscular function

STUDY OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study is to determine the incidence of significant (train-of-four [TOF] ratio <0.70), but clinically undetectable (TOF ratio >0.40), residual neuromuscular block after neostigmine antagonism of profound cisatracurium (CIS) or rocuronium (ROC) block.

DESIGN

Prospective, randomized, open-label study.

SETTING

University hospital.

PATIENTS

Forty ASA physical status I and II undergoing elective surgical procedures.

INTERVENTIONS

Anesthesia was induced with propofol 1.5 to 2.5 mg/kg IV plus fentanyl 2 to 4 mug/kg and maintained with N(2)O/desflurane plus narcotic supplementation. The electromyographic response of the adductor pollicis was recorded. Train-of-four stimulation was given every 20 seconds. Twitch height (T1) and TOF fade ratio were continuously recorded. In group 1 (n = 20), neuromuscular block was induced with CIS 0.10 mg/kg, and T1 was maintained at 5% of control by a constant infusion of CIS until the end of surgery. One minute after the termination of the infusion, neostigmine 0.05 mg/kg was administered. T1 and TOF values were monitored continuously for the next 20 minutes. Group 2 (n = 20) is identical to group 1 except that the initial drug was ROC 0.60 mg/kg, and paralysis was maintained with an infusion of ROC.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

There were no significant differences in the recovery patterns of CIS vs ROC. The duration (bolus to end of infusion) in both groups averaged 2.7 hours, and the mean cumulative dose of relaxant approximated 4 x the ED(95). T1 at the time of reversal was 6% (4%-10%) of control. Mean TOF ratios at 10, 15, and 20 minutes were 0.55, 0.71, and 0.0.81, respectively. Return to a TOF ratio >0.40 was always achieved in 15 minutes or less. However, at 20 minutes postreversal, 5 of 40 subjects had TOF ratios <0.70 and only 11 individuals had recovered to a TOF ratio of 0.90 or greater.

CONCLUSIONS

Most clinicians cannot detect tactile fade once the TOF ratio exceeds 0.40. When reversing profound block, an objective monitor of neuromuscular function is required if the extent of residual block is to be assessed with any confidence.

Retracted : Reversal of vecuronium with neostigmine in patients with diabetes mellitus

Reversal of vecuronium-induced neuromuscular blockade with neostigmine was compared in two groups of 16 subjects: patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus and normal controls. When the first twitch of the train-of-four had returned to 25% of the control value, neostigmine 40 microg x kg(-1) and atropine 20 microg x kg(-1) were given to reverse the neuromuscular blockade. The train-of-four ratio was lower at 3 min, 6 min, 9 min, 12 min and 15 min after reversal in the diabetic group than in the control group but the differences did not reach statistical significance. Fifteen minutes after reversal, the number of patients in whom recovery from neuromuscular blockade was judged insufficient to guarantee good respiratory function (train-of-four ratio < 0.74) did not differ between the groups. However, 15 min after reversal, the number of patients with a train-of-four ratio < 0.9 was significantly higher in the Diabetic Group than in the Control Group (15 vs. 10, p = 0.033).

Time to peak effect of neostigmine at antagonism of atracurium- or vecuronium-induced neuromuscular block

STUDY OBJECTIVE

(1) To determine the time to peak effect of neostigmine (time to peak antagonism) during atracurium- or vecuronium-induced neuromuscular block; and (2) to determine the effect on time to peak effect of neostigmine during atracurium-induced neuromuscular block, when the dose of neostigmine is increased from 35 micrograms/kg to 70 micrograms/kg.

DESIGN

Prospective, randomized clinical study.

SETTING

Gynecologic operating room suite at a university hospital.

PATIENTS

45 ASA I and II women admitted for gynecologic laparotomy.

INTERVENTIONS

Anesthesia was performed with thiopental sodium, fentanyl, halothane, nitrous oxide, and atracurium or vecuronium. Train-of-four (TOF) stimulation and mechanomyography were used to monitor neuromuscular transmission. Neostigmine was administered while a constant degree of neuromuscular block was maintained at a twitch height at a point between 4% and 11% of the control twitch height, using a continuous infusion of atracurium or vecuronium. The patients were randomized to three groups, with 15 patients in each group. Group 1 received atracurium block antagonized with neostigmine 35 micrograms/kg; group 2 received vecuronium block antagonized with neostigmine 35 micrograms/kg; and group 3 received atracurium block antagonized with neostigmine 70 micrograms/kg.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

The degree of neuromuscular block at antagonism was similar in the three groups. Time to peak effect (mean +/- SD) on TOF ratio was significantly longer in Group 1 (9.7 +/- 3.0 minutes) versus Group 2 (6.6 +/- 1.4 minutes; (p < 0.05). The time to peak effect on TOF ratio during atracurium-induced block was reduced from 9.7 +/- 3.0 minutes to 6.3 +/- 2.0 minutes when the dose of neostigmine was increased from 35 micrograms/kg to 70 micrograms/kg (p < 0.05). The peak effect on TOF ratio was significantly greater in Group 3 compared with Group 1 (p < 0.05), while it was similar in groups 1 and 2.

CONCLUSION

The time to peak effect of neostigmine 35 micrograms/kg is about 6 to 10 minutes when antagonizing a constant degree of atracurium- or vecuronium-induced neuromuscular block at a twitch height at a point between 4% and 11%. Even though the time to peak effect was longer with atracurium than with vecuronium, clinically significant differences between the antagonizing effect of atracurium versus vecuronium block were not demonstrated. The time to peak effect during atracurium-induced block decreased when the dose of neostigmine was increased from 35 micrograms/kg to 70 micrograms/kg.