Cardiovascular effects of neuromuscular-blocking drugs

Abstract

Recently introduced neuromuscular blockers, whether long-acting (doxacurium, pipecurium) or of short to intermediate duration (mivacurium, Org 9426), produce few serious cardiovascular side effects, partly a result of better medicinal chemistry but also of the increasing skills of anaesthetists. Possible future areas of interest are the effects on muscarinic cholinoceptors in the lung and on calcium channels in vascular smooth muscle.