RAPID-SEQUENCE OROTRACHEAL INTUBATION WITH ROCURONIUM - A RANDOMIZED DOUBLE-BLIND COMPARISON WITH SUXAMETHONIUM - PRELIMINARY COMMUNICATION

Eighty ASA I-III patients were randomly assigned to four groups. Group I patients received rocuronium 0.6 mg kg-1 immediately prior to thiop entone, while patients in group II received the same dose immediately after the induction agent. In groups III and IV a priming dose of rocu ronium 0.04 mg kg-1 was administered prior to induction. Group III pat ients received rocuronium immediately prior to thiopentone. In group I V, suxamethonium 1.5 mg kg-1 was administered immediately after thiope ntone. Intubation conditions were scored by a blinded investigator. An intubation time of >60s was defined as a failure. All patients could be intubated within 60s. Priming with rocuronium did not improve intub ation conditions. Total intubation scores >6 occurred significantly mo re often in group II (P<0.01 vs. all other groups). A single bolus dos e of rocuronium 0.6 mg kg-1 (2 x ED95) administered immediately prior to thiopentone 6 mg kg-1 offers the same intubation conditions as suxa methonium 1.5 mg kg-1.