USE OF THE POST-TETANIC COUNT TO MONITOR RECOVERY FROM INTENSE NEUROMUSCULAR BLOCKADE IN CHILDREN

The post-tetanic count was investigated as a method of monitoringintense neuromuscular blockade in children. One of five myoneuralblockers (atracurium, vecuronium, pancuronium, tubocurarineor alcuronium) was given to groups of six children during nitrousoxide-oxygen-halothane anaesthesia. During recovery, the firstpost-tetanic response always preceded the first train-of-fourresponse. The interval between the appearance of the first post-tetanicresponse and the first train-of-four response was typically5–10 min for the intermediate-acting agents vecuroniumand atracurium, and 20–30 min for the long-acting agentspancuronium, alcuronium and tubocurarine. A post-tetanic countof 6 with alcuronium and tubocurarine, or 7 with vecuronium,atracurium and pancuronium indicated that recovery of the firsttrain-of-four response was imminent.