Pretreatment technique for fast intubation with vecuronium: intubation conditions and unwanted effects

In eighty patients 15 micrograms kg-1 of vecuronium was given 3 minutes before induction of anesthesia and 50 micrograms kg-1 was given at the time of induction. The trachea was intubated 60 seconds after the second dose. A wide spread of twitch depression was found. The 80 patients were divided into 4 groups retrospectively with respect to the degree of neuromuscular blockade during intubation. Tracheal intubation was performed when the mean twitch depression was 48.8 +/- 11.8 (SD)% and the conditions were satisfactory in 89% of the cases. Intubating conditions were different significantly between the four sub-groups (p less than 0.01). Ptosis occurred in 77 patients, diplopia in 13 patients and dyspnea in 2 patients between the first injection of vecuronium and induction of anesthesia. The administration of vecuronium in divided doses gives satisfactory intubating conditions in the majority of the patients, but close observation between the priming dose and the induction of anesthesia is mandatory. The method is not considered suitable for obese and is probably not indicated in severely ill patients.