Comparative neuromuscular blocking effects of vecuronium, pancuronium, Org 6368 and suxamethonium in the anaesthetized domestic pig

Abstract

The neuromuscular blocking and cardiovascular effects of three competitive neuromuscular blocking drugs, vecuronium, pancuronium and Org 6368, and the depolarizing drug suxamethonium, have been evaluated in the anaesthetized domestic pig. Both the relative time-course and the order of potency of the drugs agreed well with published data in man. In addition, the cardiovascular side-effects of pancuronium and Org 6368 were identified readily. These preliminary results suggest that the pig may provide more reliable neuromuscular blocking time-course data than does the more commonly utilized cat model.