VALUE OF MUSCLE-RELAXANT ACTION MONITORIN G IN PROLONGED MIVACURIUM INDUCED NEUROMUSCULAR BLOCKADE

A case of neuromuscular blockade of about 200 min of duration, in a 9- year-old boy from mivacurium 0.15 mg . kg(-1) is reported, The diagnos is was delayed, after onset of the first signs of recovery, due to the lack of monitoring of neuromuscular transmission, The neuromuscular b lockade was reversed with neostigmine 0.04 mg . kg(-1). Complete rever sal required fifty minutes, The presence of an abnormal genetic varian t of pseudocholinesterases was demonstrated by the measurements of pse udocholinesterase activity and dibucaine number, The importance of mon itoring of neuromuscular transmission for diagnosis and treatment of m ivacurium-induced neuromuscular blockade is underlined.