Cardiovascular and neuromuscular responses to high-dose pancuronium-metocurine in pediatric burned and reconstructive patients.

The efficacy of the combined use of pancuronium and metocurine (Pm-MTC) in high doses to produce rapid-onset muscle paralysis was evaluated in 15 patients with acute burns and 18 recovered burned patients scheduled for reconstructive surgery. Two and three times the previously determined ED95 of the combination for each group was used. (ED95 for Pm-MTC combination is 0.032/0.129 mg/kg for acute burns and 0.013/0.051 mg/kg for reconstructive patients.) Doubling ED95 produced 95% paralysis in 3.1 +/- 0.9 min in acutely burned children and in 4.3 +/- 0.7 min in reconstructive children (mean +/- SEM). These onset times were not significantly different from each other. Tripling the ED95 of the combination in burned children reduced the onset time to 1.3 +/- 0.14 min, but this was not significantly different from 2 X ED95 onset time in burned patients. The administration of 3 X ED95 to the reconstructive group, however, resulted in a significantly more rapid onset time of 1.8 +/- 0.4 min compared with 2 X ED95 in the same population. With 3 X ED95 the onset times between burn and reconstructive patients were not significantly different. Time for recovery of twitch to 25% of control twitch height (75% twitch depression) was significantly prolonged in burned patients compared with reconstructive patients for equipotent doses administered. Although the occasional patient showed prominent changes in heart rate and blood pressure, overall cardiovascular stability was impressive.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)