The Impact of Choice of Muscle Relaxant on Postoperative Recovery Time: A Retrospective Study

• Published in: Anesthesia and analgesia Vol. 85; no. 3; pp. 476 - 482
• Main Authors: Ballantyne, Jane C, Chang, YuChiao
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hagerstown, MD International Anesthesia Research Society 01.09.1997; Lippincott
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Anesthesia Recovery Period; Anesthesia, General; Anesthetics. Neuromuscular blocking agents; Atracurium - administration & dosage; Atracurium - economics; Biological and medical sciences; Child; Child, Preschool; Cost Savings; Drug Costs; Female; Hospital Costs; Humans; Infant; Isoquinolines - administration & dosage; Isoquinolines - economics; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Mivacurium; Neuromuscular Nondepolarizing Agents - administration & dosage; Neuromuscular Nondepolarizing Agents - economics; Neuropharmacology; Pancuronium - administration & dosage; Pancuronium - economics; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Recovery Room - economics; Recovery Room - statistics & numerical data; Retrospective Studies; Tubocurarine - administration & dosage; Tubocurarine - economics; Vecuronium Bromide - administration & dosage; Vecuronium Bromide - economics; Neuromuscular blocking agent; Human; Postoperative; Costs; Choice; Surgery; Health economy; General anesthesia; Recovery; Neuromuscular blocking; Retrospective; Duration of action
• ISSN: 0003-2999; 1526-7598
• DOI: 10.1097/00000539-199709000-00002

To test the hypothesis that the use of long-acting muscle relaxants is associated with prolonged postoperative recovery when compared with the use of shorter-acting relaxants, we undertook a retrospective study of 270 patients with induced paralysis recovering from general anesthesia. We calculated the mean recovery time associated with each muscle relaxant used. Regression analyses were performed to control for potential confounding of the results by length and type of surgery, as well as age and sex. Taking these into account, the adjusted difference in mean recovery time between patients receiving short- and intermediate-acting relaxants (mivacurium, atracurium, and vecuronium) versus those receiving long-acting relaxants (d-tubocurarine, pancuronium, and pancuronium and d-tubocurarine combination) was 30 min (95% confidence interval [CI] 8-53). The adjusted difference in mean recovery time between patients receiving vecuronium and those receiving pancuronium (i.e., the single most frequently used drug in each category) was 33 min (95% CI 1-66). Shortened recovery time accounted for an estimated average $37.95 decrease in recovery room charge per patient when vecuronium was used instead of pancuronium, versus a $22.84 increase in drug cost. Our data and analyses support the hypothesis that the use of long-acting muscle relaxants is associated with prolonged recovery after surgery and provide preliminary evidence that restricting the use of the more expensive, shorter-acting muscle relaxants may represent a false economy. ImplicationsIn this retrospective study, the use of old-fashioned, inexpensive, long-acting paralyzing drugs was found to be associated with prolonged postoperative recovery. This has implications when deciding whether, as an economic measure, to restrict the use of the more expensive, shorter-acting paralyzing drugs, because prolonged recovery also has a price.(Anesth Analg 1997;85:476-82)