[Clinical use of vecuronium during celioscopy]

In order to determine if vecuronium can be used for short operations, 40 women were studied during laparoscopy, randomly assigned to four groups: suxamethonium 1 mg X kg-1 in a single bolus followed by an infusion (group A), vecuronium 0.05 mg X kg-1 (group B), vecuronium 0.06 mg X kg-1 (group C) and vecuronium 0.07 mg X kg-1 (group D). Mean duration of operation was 22-25 min. Tracheal intubation can be performed in good conditions in all patients in group A and D, in 5/10 in group B and in 7/10 in group C. During laparoscopy, muscular relaxation was considered excellent in all patients in group A and D, 5/10 sufficient and 5/10 excellent in group C, 5/10 insufficient and 5/10 sufficient in group B. There were 7 reinjections in group B, 2 in group C and 1 in group A. The delay between the end of the procedure and extubation was the same in group A and C (7 min). This delay was significantly higher in group D (9 min). The delay between extubation and positive head lift test was significantly higher in group D. We conclude that the time course of action of vecuronium 0.06 mg X kg-1 is that required for a pelvic laparoscopy of 22-25 min; however, the conditions of intubation are not always perfect. Intubation is easier with a 0.07 mg X kg-1 dose; this dose induces a slight delay for extubation and positive head lift test. In all cases, the patient must be closely watched in a recovery ward.