Influence of halothane on the train-of-four fade after atracurium in children.

Abstract

The influence of halothane was studied on train-of-four fade during spontaneous recovery from neuromuscular block produced by atracurium in 42 children undergoing routine surgical procedures under general anaesthesia. The ulnar nerve was stimulated at the wrist, and compound electromyographic responses were recorded from the adductor pollicis brevis, using a Relaxo-graph. One group of children was anaesthetized with nitrous oxide and 1% halothane (end-tidal concentration) in oxygen; in the other group nitrous oxide and fentanyl in oxygen was used (control group). Halothane was found to increase the train-of-four fade during the recovery phase compared with control. It is possible that presynaptic and postsynaptic cholinoceptors differ in their sensitivity to the depressant action of halothane.