Edrophonium-hyoscine butylbromide mixture for reversal of neuromuscular blockade: heart rate changes in infants and children.

The effectiveness of hyoscine butylbromide in the prevention of edrophonium-induced bradycardia was assessed in 50 infants and children. A mixture of edrophonium (1.0 mg/kg) and either atropine (0.01 mg/kg) or hyoscine butylbromide (0.4 mg/kg) was administered to reverse the effects of tubocurarine. An initial bradycardia followed the injection of the edrophonium-atropine mixture. In contrast there was no initial decrease in heart rate after the administration of the edrophonium-hyoscine butylbromide mixture. Hyoscine butylbromide can be used with advantage as a substitute for atropine in edrophonium reversal in infants and children.