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Updated: Jun 20, 2026

Endotracheal Intubation Using a Flexible Intubation Endoscope as a Standardized Model for Safe Airway Management in Swine
Published on: August 25, 2022
[Rocuronium vs atracurium vs suxamethonium for double-lumen endobronchial tube intubation]
Hanna Misiołek1, Marek Tombarkiewicz, Katarzyna Zajaczkowska-Druzba
1Zakład Anestezjologii Klinicznej Slaskiego UM w Katowicach. katanestz@sum.edu.pl
Background:
Intubation with a double lumen tube requires excellent and stable relaxation, necessary for accurate positioning of the device using a fibre optic scope.
Methods:
We have compared conditions for endobronchial intubation after administration of 1 mg kg(-1) rocuronium (group E), 0.1 mg kg(-1) cis-atracurium (group N) and 1.5 mg kg(-1) suxamethonium (group P) in 70 randomly allocated adult patients, scheduled for elective lung surgery. Conditions for intubation were assessed using Mallampati, Cromack-Lehan and Krieg scores.
Results:
The duration and conditions for intubation, and the onset of relaxation were comparable in all groups. Patients paralysed with suxamethonium required more frequent repositioning of double lumen tubes, compared to those paralysed with rocuronium and cis-atracurium.
Discussion:
Although all drugs given in equipotent doses proved to be suitable for the planned procedure, we conclude that suxamethonium could easily be abandoned in routine anaesthesia for elective lung surgery.
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