The Cardiovascular Effects of Vecuronium (ORG NC45) and Pancuronium in Patients Undergoing Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting

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Abstract
Vecuronium is a new nondepolarizing muscle relaxant which causes no significant cardiovascular effects. Invasive monitoring was used in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting to compare the cardiovascular effects of vecuronium (0.28 mg/kg) in 7 anesthetized patients with those of pancuronium (0.1 mg/kg) in 5 anesthetized patients. This dose of pancuronium represents 3 times its ED90 (dose producing a 90% depression of evoked twitch tension), while the vecuronium dose represents 12 times its ED90. This relatively large dose of vecuronium was chosen deliberately in an attempt to manifest any possible cardiovascular effects. Following administration of vecuronium, cardiac output increased 9% and systemic vascular resistance decreased 12%, while pancuronium produced a significantly greater 17% increase in cardiac output without change in systemic vascular resistance. Heart rate and systemic mean arterial pressure did not change following vecuronium, while increasing 22% and 24%, respectively, following pancuronium. Evidently, large doses of vecuronium have minimal cardiovascular effects and thus offer an advantage over pancuronium in patients anesthetized for coronary artery surgery.