Maintenance requirement of alcuronium in paediatric patients.

Seventeen paediatric patients from 0.3 to 19 years old were studied to determine the individual dose-response curves and the maintenance requirements of alcuronium during N2O-O2-opioid anaesthesia. Alcuronium 300 micrograms/kg maintained the mean (SD) neuromuscular block at 90-95% for 62 34 min). This time was longest in patients of less than 1 year of age (92 min). The hourly maintenance requirement of alcuronium was 0.41 (0.12) times the individual ED95 dose. This value was comparable in infants, children and adolescents and indicates similar duration of effect of alcuronium in all paediatric age groups.