A comparison of atracurium and alcuronium during halothane anaesthesia by measurement of the train-of-four response of the adductor pollicis muscle and clinical observation.

Atracurium and alcuronium have been compared during halothane anaesthesia, by measurement of the mechanical response of the adductor pollicis muscles to train-of-four stimulation and by clinical observation. Atracurium appeared significantly shorter-acting than alcuronium. However, results suggested that the action of alcuronium may not be of "medium duration". A comparison of three indices of muscle twitch response to the train-of-four nerve stimulation, seemed to indicate that the D'/D ratio gave the best overall index of neuromuscular blockade in this study.