Reversal of neuromuscular blockade induced by rocuronium or vecuronium

Active Ingredient: Sugammadex

Indication for Sugammadex

Population group: only adults (18 years old or older)
Therapeutic intent: Curative procedure

For this indication, competent medicine agencies globally authorize below treatments:

4-16 mg/kg once

Route of admnistration

Intravenous

Defined daily dose

4 - 16 mg per kg of body weight

Dosage regimen

From 4 To 16 mg per kg of body weight once every day

Detailed description

The recommended dose of sugammadex depends on the level of neuromuscular blockade to be reversed.

The recommended dose does not depend on the anaesthetic regimen.

Sugammadex can be used to reverse different levels of rocuronium or vecuronium induced neuromuscular blockade.

Routine reversal

A dose of 4 mg/kg sugammadex is recommended if recovery has reached at least 1-2 post-tetanic counts (PTC) following rocuronium or vecuronium induced blockade. Median time to recovery of the T4/T1 ratio to 0.9 is around 3 minutes.

A dose of 2 mg/kg sugammadex is recommended, if spontaneous recovery has occurred up to at least the reappearance of T2 following rocuronium or vecuronium induced blockade. Median time to recovery of the T4/T1 ratio to 0.9 is around 2 minutes.

Using the recommended doses for routine reversal will result in a slightly faster median time to recovery of the T4/T1 ratio to 0.9 of rocuronium when compared to vecuronium induced neuromuscular blockade.

Immediate reversal of rocuronium-induced blockade

If there is a clinical need for immediate reversal following administration of rocuronium a dose of 16 mg/kg sugammadex is recommended. When 16 mg/kg sugammadex is administered 3 minutes after a bolus dose of 1.2 mg/kg rocuronium bromide, a median time to recovery of the T4/T1 ratio to 0.9 of approximately 1.5 minutes can be expected.

There is no data to recommend the use of sugammadex for immediate reversal following vecuronium induced blockade.

Re-administration of sugammadex

In the exceptional situation of recurrence of neuromuscular blockade post-operatively after an initial dose of 2 mg/kg or 4 mg/kg sugammadex, a repeat dose of 4 mg/kg sugammadex is recommended. Following a second dose of sugammadex, the patient should be closely monitored to ascertain sustained return of neuromuscular function.

Re-administration of rocuronium or vecuronium after sugammadex

Waiting times for re-administration with neuromuscular blocking agents after reversal with sugammadex

Re-administration of rocuronium or vecuronium after routine reversal (up to 4 mg/kg sugammadex):

Minimum waiting timeNMBA and dose to be administered
5 minutes1.2 mg/kg rocuronium
4 hours0.6 mg/kg rocuronium or 0.1 mg/kg vecuronium

The onset of neuromuscular blockade may be prolonged up to approximately 4 minutes, and the duration of neuromuscular blockade may be shortened up to approximately 15 minutes after readministration of rocuronium 1.2 mg/kg within 30 minutes after sugammadex administration.

Based on PK modelling the recommended waiting time in patients with mild or moderate renal impairment for re-use of 0.6 mg/kg rocuronium or 0.1 mg/kg vecuronium after routine reversal with sugammadex should be 24 hours. If a shorter waiting time is required, the rocuronium dose for a new neuromuscular blockade should be 1.2 mg/kg.

Re-administration of rocuronium or vecuronium after immediate reversal (16 mg/kg sugammadex): For the very rare cases where this might be required, a waiting time of 24 hours is suggested.

If neuromuscular blockade is required before the recommended waiting time has passed, a nonsteroidal neuromuscular blocking agent should be used. The onset of a depolarizing neuromuscular blocking agent might be slower than expected, because a substantial fraction of postjunctional nicotinic receptors can still be occupied by the neuromuscular blocking agent.

Obese patients

In obese patients, including morbidly obese patients (body mass index ≥40 kg/m²), the dose of sugammadex should be based on actual body weight. The same dose recommendations as for adults should be followed.

Dosage considerations

Sugammadex should be administered intravenously as a single bolus injection. The bolus injection should be given rapidly, within 10 seconds, into an existing intravenous line. Sugammadex has only been administered as a single bolus injection in clinical trials.

Active ingredient

Sugammadex

Sugammadex is a modified gamma cyclodextrin which is a Selective Relaxant Binding Agent. It forms a complex with the neuromuscular blocking agents rocuronium or vecuronium in plasma and thereby reduces the amount of neuromuscular blocking agent available to bind to nicotinic receptors in the neuromuscular junction.

Read more about Sugammadex

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