Pancuronium improves the neuromuscular transmission defect of human organophosphate intoxication

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Abstract
Two patients with acute severe organophosphate intoxication showed (1) single evoked compound muscle action potentials (CMAP) with repetive discharges and (2) prominent decremental responses of CMAP with 20 and 50 Hz supramaximal nerve stimulations. Following the intravenous injection of single small doses of pancuronium, marked improvement in these abnormalities occurred and persisted for several hours. We postulated that the physiologic improvement following low-dose pancuronium results from blockade of acetylcholine receptors, especially those located on the terminal axon responsible for antidromic backfiring.