[Comparative clinical study of the effects of vecuronium and suxamethonium during oto-rhino-laryngeal and tracheobronchial laser surgery].

52 patients selected at random were assigned to four groups according to the surgery and muscle relaxant used: vecuronium (group A) and suxamethonium (group B) in ENT, vecuronium (group C) and suxamethonium (group D) for laser surgery. The first dose of vecuronium was 0.05 mg X kg-1, followed by repeat doses of 0.0125 mg X kg-1; suxamethonium was first given in a dose of 1 mg X kg-1, this being followed by a drip of 3 mg X kg-1. The anaesthetic protocol was the same for all groups. The results showed a shorter onset of action with suxamethonium (group A: 210 +/- 30 s, group B: 75 +/- 15 s, group C: 200 +/- 50 s, group D: 80 +/- 20 s) and a similar duration of action for the initial doses of the two drugs (group A: 9 +/- 3 min, group B: 6 +/- 3 min, group C: 11 +/- 4 min, group D: 7 +/- 2 min). Continuing the muscle relaxation proved easier with the suxamethonium; signs of decurarization occurred rather unexpectedly with vecuronium. No adverse effect was seen with vecuronium, whilst the diastolic blood pressure rose 20% during the first 25 min following the administration of suxamethonium. It can be concluded that, in the absence of monitoring of the curarization, the repeated administration of vecuronium with a first dose of 0.05 mg X kg-1 brought few advantages compared with the continuous infusion of suxamethonium.