SENSITIVITY TO GALLAMINE AND PANCURONIUM WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO SERUM PROTEINS

In 100 females undergoing lower abdominal surgery, the requirementof pancuronium (mg/m² body surface) showed no notable correlationwith any serum protein fraction. In a comparable series of 100female patients the requirement of gallamine (mg/m² body surface)displayed a positive correlation with the serum albumin levelboth with diazepam as induction agent (r=0.34) and with thiopentoneas the induction agent (r=0.25). The doses of both relaxantswere 7–8 per cent lower and displayed a lower inter-individualvariation with diazepam compared with thiopentone. It is suggestedthat charge-dissipating ethyl quaternization present in thegallamine molecule is responsible for the correlation of thisrelaxant with the serum albumin level.