The never ending story or the search for a nondepolarising alternative to succinylcholine

摘要

Rapid sequence induction (RSI) is an established method of inducing anaesthesia in patients at risk of pulmonary aspiration and allowing rapid intubation of the trachea. Initially, it involves loss of consciousness, application of cricoid pressure followed by tracheal intubation without face mask ventilation. The ideal characteristics of a neuromuscular blocking agent for RSI comprise a rapid onset to minimise the risk of aspiration, a predictably rapid recovery to facilitate the return of ventilation if intubation fails and minimal haemodynamic and systemic effects