The Use of Neuromuscular Non-depolarizing Blockers and their Reversal Agents by Anesthesiologists Valle del Cauca, Colombia
Abstract
Objectives: To describe the prevalence of use of non-depolarizing neuromuscular blockers/ relaxants by anesthesiologists in our area, and the perception of anesthesiologists in the Valle del Cauca region with regards to monitoring.
Methodology: A descriptive, cross-sectional study including 258 anesthesiologists, and a review of the data from the Eye and Hearing Clinic for Blind and Deaf Children in Valle del Cauca to collect information about the use of neostigmine and the number of surgeries performed under general anesthesia between 2007 and 2010.
Results: Thirty per-cent of the anesthesiologists surveyed claimed to occasionally use nondepolarizing neuromuscular relaxants in general anesthesia, while 61% said that they used them often, usually or always. With regards to the use of neuromuscular relaxation monitoring (NMRM), 68% the doctors surveyed said they rarely used it, and only 13% claimed using it often, usually or always.
Thirty two per-cent of the anesthesiologists are believe that they almost never use neuromuscular blockade reversing agents. Twenty five per-cent said they occasionally reversed their patients, while 24.7% and 17.8% said they used reversal often, always or usually, respectively.
At the Institute for Blind and Deaf Children of Valle del Cauca (INCS), the use of neostigmine is declining in contrast to the rising numbers of surgeries performed under general anesthesia from 2007 until 2010.
Conclusions: The Valle del Cauca anesthesiologist claims to frequently use neuromuscular blockers in general anesthesia.
Monitoring of neuromuscular blockade is not a usual practice among them.
Although the study is not conclusive with regards to the associations based on the data collected, it does suggest that the habit of using neuromuscular blockers in our environment is risky. The limited use of reversal agents and rare monitoring may be exposing our patients to a preventable morbidity-mortality resulting from the use of these drugs.
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