• J Gelberg, L Kongstad, and O Werner.
• Department of Paediatric Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, Children's Hospital, Skane University Hospital, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
• Acta Anaesthesiol Scand. 2014 Aug 1;58(7):820-5.

BackgroundBolus injections of intravenous propofol and remifentanil can be used in the tracheal intubation of infants and children, but relatively large doses are needed. We hypothesised that addition of a small bolus of rocuronium would ensure good intubation conditions when modest propofol and remifentanil doses were used.MethodsSeventy infants between 3 weeks and 4 months of age were randomised to receive either placebo or rocuronium. Anaesthesia was induced with IV propofol, 3 (3-5) mg/kg [median (range)]. Rocuronium (0.2 mg/kg) or placebo was then injected, followed 15 s later by 2 μg/kg remifentanil. One anaesthetist attempted tracheal intubation 1 min after the rocuronium/placebo injection and used the 'Copenhagen scoring system' to assess intubation conditions. The neuromuscular effect of 0.2 mg/kg rocuronium was recorded in another eight, already intubated, infants using thumb accelerometry during train-of-four stimulation of the ulnar nerve.ResultsIntubation conditions were classified as 'poor' in 14 of 34 (41%) patients given placebo and in 10 of 36 (28%) patients given rocuronium (P = 0.32). There were four failed first attempts at intubation in the placebo group and none in the rocuronium group (P = 0.051). Maximum neuromuscular depression occurred 4 (3-8) after injection of 0.2 mg/kg rocuronium.ConclusionsIntubation conditions were poor in almost one third of the patients receiving propofol-remifentanil. Adding a low-dose rocuronium did not significantly improve intubation conditions.© 2014 The Acta Anaesthesiologica Scandinavica Foundation. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

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