INFLUENCE OF “PRIMING” ON THE POTENCY OF NON-DEPOLARIZING NEUROMUSCULAR BLOCKING AGENTS

Abstract
Dose-response curves have been constructed to determine the ED50 and ED95 (doses required to produce a 50% and a 95% block, respectively) following administration of a small “priming” dose of atracurium 50 μg kg-1, vecuronium 10 μg kg-1 or pancuronium 10 μg kg-1 The myoneural blockers were administered subsequently as a single bolus. The results were compared with previously published work on these drugs, in which no priming dose had been administered. The respective ED50 and ED95 values in the primed and control groups were 122 and 126μg kg-1 and 208 and 226μg kg-1, respectively, for atracurium; 26 and 23 μg kg-1 and 42 and 39 μg kg-1, respectively, for vecuronium; and 31 and 30 fμg kg-1 and 56 and 60 μg kg-1, respectively, for pancuronium. The values showed no significant differences between the respective primed and control groups. Contrary to previous suggestions, our results show no enhancement of blockade when these drugs were administered in divided doses.

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