MIVACURIUM COMPARED WITH 3 DIFFERENT DOSES OF SUXAMETHONIUM FOR NASOTRACHEAL INTUBATION

Suxamethonium in the doses of 1.0, 0.5 and 0.25 mg/kg was compared wit h mivacurium 0.15 mg/kg in 80 patients requiring nasotracheal intubati on for maxillofacial surgery in a double-blind randomized controlled t rial Anaesthesia was induced with thiopentone 5 mg/kg and alfentanil 1 5 mu g/kg. Patients were randomly allocated to one of the four relaxan t groups. Anaesthesia was maintained with enflurane in 70% nitrous oxi de and 30% oxygen and analgesia provided with intravenous pethidine 0. 5 to 1.5 mg/kg and rectal indomethacin 100mg. All patients given mivac urium or suxamethonium 1mg/kg had acceptable intubating conditions. Si gnificantly fewer patients given suxamethonium 0.5 mg or 0.25 mg/kg ha d acceptable intubating conditions (90% and 70% respectively) (P=0.003 ). Poor intubating conditions requiring additional relaxation were see n in two patients given suxamethonium 0.25 mg/kg and two given 0.5 mg/ kg, while no patients given suxamethonium 1.0 mg/kg or mivacurium 0.15 mg/kg required additional relaxation (P=0.004). Only four patients ha d postoperative myalgia, all of whom were given suxamethonium 0.5 mg/k g or more but no significant difference between groups could be demons trated.