Pancuronium, vecuronium, and heart rate during anesthesia for aortocoronary bypass operations

To determine the effects of pancuronium and vecuronium on heart rate, 90 patients scheduled for aortocoronary bypass were randomly assigned to one of three groups (30 patients each) which received vecuronium 100 micrograms[sdot]kg-1, pancuronium 100 micrograms[sdot]kg-1, or a mixture of vecuronium (50 micrograms[sdot]kg-1) and pancuronium (50 micrograms[dot]kg-1) in a double-blind fashion during induction of anesthesia. All patients were premedicated with lorazepam prior to surgery, hence avoiding the effects of scopolamine. Our results showed no significant increase in heart rate from the administration of pancuronium, following administration of this drug the heart rate increased by only four beats per minute. The heart rate was unchanged after the mixture, but decreased by twelve beats per minute after vecuronium (P < 0.05). The heart rate response differed by 16 beats per minute between pancuronium and vecuronium. All patients who received either of the neuromuscular relaxants and who were on beta blockers showed a decrease in heart rate. In this study, the administration of pancuronium after an adequate induction dose of fentanyl did not cause tachycardia. We therefore feel that pancuronium still has a role in cardiac anesthesia, especially as the newer muscle relaxants such as vecuronium, pipecuronium and doxacurium are significantly more expensive.