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Prolonged duration of action of rocuronium in a preterm infant: a case report

T Willegers1, K de Graaff-Korf1

  • 1Department of Neonatal Intensive Care, Isala Clinics, Zwolle, Netherlands.

Frontiers in Pediatrics
|April 23, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Prolonged neuromuscular blockade from rocuronium is rare in infants and has not been documented in preterm infants. This case report emphasizes continuous neuromuscular blockade monitoring in preterm neonates, even after a single dose.

Area of Science:

  • Anesthesiology
  • Neonatal Medicine
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Rocuronium is a neuromuscular blocking agent commonly used in anesthesia.
  • Prolonged duration of action for rocuronium is an uncommon adverse event, typically reported in infants.
  • There is a lack of reported cases of prolonged rocuronium effect in preterm infants.

Keywords:
neonatesneuromuscular monitoringpreterm neonatesprolonged neuromuscular blockaderocuronium

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