Sugammadex in a man with a transplanted kidney: a case report

We report the use of sugammadex to reverse a rocuronium block in a man who had received a kidney transplant 4 years earlier. The patient was admitted for gastric non-Hodgkins lymphoma and bleeding that required surgery. Arterial hypertension, tachycardia, and frequent ventricular extrasystoles were detected. Anesthetic induction was accomplished with propofol, fentanyl, and rocuronium; intubation was uneventful. We monitored pulse oximetry, capnography, heart rate, electrocardiography, arterial pressure (invasive), cardiac output, end-systolic volume, bispectral index, temperature, and neuromuscular function. Anesthesia was maintained with an infusion of propofol, fentanyl, and rocuronium guided by train-of-four (TOF) ratio. Total diuresis was 1100 mL. The operation lasted 4.5 hours. Recovery of neuromuscular response was spontaneous until the second TOF twitch, after which we injected 2 mg/kg of sugammadex. A TOF ratio of 0.94 was recorded 158 seconds after injection of the reversal agent. The patient was extubated without complications. Sugammadex can be used in patients with a transplanted kidney, provided the glomerular filtration rate has recovered sufficiently to allow full excretion of the sugammadex-rocuronium complex.