Quantitative surface electromyography in anesthesia and critical care

Abstract

The frontalis muscle spontaneous (SEMG) and electrically evoked (EEMG) electromyograms were recorded in 4 different clinical settings. Using a standardized isoflurane-based anesthetic protocol. Study 1 examined the SEMG response to both surgical and acoustic stimuli. The acoustic SEMG response was also examined in comatose head-injured patients. Study 2 used the EEMG to compare the extent of vecuronium-induced neuromuscular blockade on the frontalis and hypothenar muscles in both anesthetized and comatose patients. In Study 3 head-injured comatose patients were used to investigate the relationship between SEMG changes and transient elevations in intracranial pressure (ICP). The effect of opiate analgesics on the pain-activated SEMG in conscious post-operative patients was investigated in Study 4. These studies illustrate the following phenomena. First, in conscious, unparalyzed or lightly anesthetized patients, painful (stressful) stimuli are associated with increases in SEMG amplitude. Thus, the SEMG may indicate periods of inadequate analgesia, not only post-operatively (Study 4) but also intra-operatively (Study 1), since we found the frontalis to be relatively insensitive to a non-depolarizing neuromuscular blocker (Study 2). However, the interpretation of intra-operative SEMG changes may be confounded by opiates (Study 4) and perhaps other agents capable of influencing the frontalis through either non-nociceptive central or peripheral mechanisms. Second, the opiate analgesics consistently decreased SEMG amplitude in non-tolerant conscious patients (Study 4. Although this opiate-induced decrease is not necessarily indicative of opiate analgesia, it may provide an objective, quantifiable measure of a central opiate effect. The SEMG is particularly well-suited to determine the precise timecourse of this effect. Third, in deeply anesthetized or comatose patients, unresponsive to either surgical or electrical stimulation. SEMG amplitude may increase in response to elevated ICP or certain sounds (Study 3). The stress (pain) and auditory-evoked SEMGs may thus provide measures of brainstem function that are independent of the level of consciousness.