• Angélica de Fátima de Assunção Braga, Glória Maria Braga Potério, Franklin Sarmento da Silva Braga, Eugesse Cremonesi, Francisco Pena Siqueira, and Vanessa H Carvalho.
• Departamento de Anestesiologia, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Universidade de Campinas.
• Rev Bras Anestesiol. 2003 Feb 1;53(1):9-16.

Background And ObjectivesThe priming technique is an alternative to shorten nondepolarizing neuromuscular blockers onset time. This study aimed at evaluating maximum neuromuscular block onset, tracheal intubation conditions and cardiocirculatory changes determined by different cisatracurium single or fractional doses.MethodsParticipated in this study 80 patients physical status ASA I and II, who were distributed into two groups according to cisatracurium doses: Group I (0.1 mg.kg-1) and Group II (0.2 mg.kg-1). Subgroups were constituted according to the curarization technique employed: subgroups P1 and P2 (priming-dose) - 0.02 mg.kg-1 or 0.04 mg.kg-1cisatracurium, respectively, followed one minute later, by 0.08 mg.kg-1 or 0.16 mg.kg-1 of the same neuromuscular blocker, respectively; subgroups U1 and U2 - total bolus injection of 0.1 mg.kg-1 or 0.2 mg.kg-1 cisatracurium, respectively. Anesthesia was induced with etomidate, preceded by alfentanil. Train of Four (TOF) stimulation was applied at 12-second intervals to monitor neuromuscular function. Maximum neuromuscular blockade onset time, tracheal intubation conditions and changes in hemodynamic parameters (arterial mean blood pressure and heart rate) were evaluated.ResultsMean times for maximum neuromuscular block onset were: Group I (3.90 +/- 0.60 min and 3.88 +/- 0.74 min, for subgroups P1 and U1, respectively) and Group II (1.40 +/- 0.40 min and 2 +/- 0.30 min, for subgroups P2 and U2, respectively) with no significant differences. Comparison between subgroups P1 and P2 and between subgroups U1 and U2, has shown statistically significant differences. Tracheal intubation conditions were acceptable in all patients and there were no cardiovascular changes.ConclusionsFractional cisatracurium doses have not shortened maximum neuromuscular block onset as compared to bolus injections. They have however produced acceptable tracheal intubation conditions without cardiovascular changes.

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