[Insufficient sugammadex effect in an obese pregnant woman undergoing cesarean section under general anesthesia]

Abstract

A 32-year-old pregnant woman (height 162 cm, weight 86 kg, age of fetus 25 weeks) without preoperative complications underwent an emergent cesarean section under general anesthesia. She was intubated with a 7.0-mm tracheal tube 40 s after receiving rocuronium 0.93 mg x kg(-1) and thiamilal 375 mg. Anesthesia was maintained with oxygen, air, sevoflurane 1.0-2.5%, and fentanyl 425 microg. Nine minutes after the end of surgery (operation time 71 minutes), a train-of-four count of 2 with 20 spontaneous breaths was noted, and sugammadex 2.3 mg x kg(-1) was administered. However, the train-of-four count was 3 even five minutes after sugammadex administration. Fifteen minutes after sugammadex administration (train-of-four ratio 14%), she received atropine 0.5 mg and neostigmine 1.0 mg. Ten minutes later, the train-of-four ratio increased to 89%, and the patient was successfully extubated with no respiratory suppression. We speculate that the rocuronium dose (0.93 mg x kg(-1)) was too high in this obese patient, and sugammadex dose at the end of the surgery was not enough for reversal of rocuronium-induced neuromuscular blockade.