A randomized simultaneous comparison of acceleromyography with a peripheral nerve stimulator for assessing reversal of rocuronium-induced neuromuscular blockade with sugammadex

Background and objective We investigated the relationship between acceleromyography and a peripheral nerve stimulator for measuring reversal in patients administered sugammadex following rocuronium. Methods In this randomized, active and within-participant controlled study, patients received rocuronium 0.6 mg kg(-1) for intubation with 0.15 mg kg(-1) maintenance doses as required. Single-dose sugammadex 4.0 or 1.0 mg kg(-1) was given 15 min after the last rocuronium dose. Neuromuscular monitoring was performed simultaneously: acceleromyography on one forearm and a peripheral nerve stimulator on the other. The peripheral nerve stimulator assessor was blinded to acceleromyography results. The primary efficacy end point was the difference between time from start of sugammadex 4.0 mg kg(-1) administration to recovery of the train-of-four ratio to 0.9 (acceleromyography) and time to reappearance of the fourth twitch (T(4)) (peripheral nerve stimulator). Results Sixty-one patients received sugammadex 4.0 mg kg(-1). With acceleromyography, mean (SD) recovery time to a train-of-four ratio of at least 0.9 was 1.5 (0.7) min. With both the peripheral nerve stimulator and acceleromyography, mean (SD) time to T(4) reappearance was 0.8 (0.3) min. Mean (95% confidence interval) difference between time to T(4) reappearance (peripheral nerve stimulator) and recovery to a train-of-four ratio of at least 0.9 (acceleromyography) was 0.8 (0.6-0.9) min. Conclusion T4 is detected at similar times when measured by a peripheral nerve stimulator or acceleromyography following sugammadex 4.0 mg kg(-1) administration 15 min after rocuronium. The mean interval between T(4) reappearance (peripheral nerve stimulator) and recovery to a train-of-four ratio of at least 0.9 (acceleromyography) was 0.8 min. These findings provide guidance for evaluating the reversal effect of sugammadex in clinical situations. Eur J Anaesthesiol 2010;27:866-873