Description
Rocuronium bromide(119302-91-9) is a short-acting nondepolarizing steroidal neuromuscular
blocker introduced in the U.S.A as Zemuron and in the United Kingdom as Esmeron.
k is indicated for use as an adjunct to general anesthesia to facilitate endotracheal
intubation and to provide skeletal muscle relaxation during surgery or mechanical
ventilation. Rocuroniurn bromide has a significantly more rapid onset than other
intermediate acting neuromuscular blockers, comparable to succinylcholine but with
a very stable cardiovascular profile and has an improved side effect profile. It has
been reported that good to excellent intubation conditions were achieved only one
minute after a bolus dose of 600μg/kg of rocuronium bromide. It has a short
duration of action, therefore, is useful for rapid sequence intubation without
unacceptable delays in the spontaneous recovery of neuromuscular function.
Originator
Organon (Netherlands)
Definition
ChEBI: The organic bromide salt of a 5alpha androstane compound having 3alpha-hydroxy-, 17beta-acetoxy-, 2beta-morpholino- and 16beta-N-allyllyrrolidinium subs
ituents.
Brand name
Zemuron (Organon).
Biological Functions
Rocuronium bromide (Zemuron,119302-91-9) is a recently approved
amino steroid neuromuscular blocking agent. It
has a rapid onset of action (1 minute), but its duration of
action is intermediate (55 minutes), about that of vecuronium.
On rare occasions, it may release histamine
and cause cardiac irregularities. Rapacuronium bromide
(Raplon) is the most recent neuromuscular blocking
agent approved by the United States Food and Drug
Administration (FDA). It is an analogue of vecuronium
and is thus categorized as an amino steroid. It has a rapid
onset of action (1.5 minutes) and a short to intermediate duration of action (20 minutes).This makes it a suitable
alternative to mivacurium or succinylcholine for short
procedures. It is eliminated mainly by the liver.Adverse
effects are dose dependent; they include tachycardia, hypotension,
and bronchospasm. These effects may be related
to the ability of the drug to release a small amount
of histamine.
Clinical Use
Muscle relaxant in general anaesthesia, medium duration
Side effects
Common side effects of Rocuronium bromide(119302-91-9) include anaphylactic reactions, residual neuromuscular weakness, critical illness myopathy and polyneuropathy. Systemic anaphylactic reactions should be suspected in any patient who develops sudden cardiovascular collapse with cutaneous signs of anaphylactic reaction after Rocuronium bromide administration. Adverse effects of residual neuromuscular blockade have been shown to increase postoperative morbidity and mortality. The inability to fully reverse the effects of neuromuscular blockade may result in an increased risk of postoperative respiratory dysfunction, including hypoxia, need for mechanical ventilation, and increased length of hospital stay. Prolonged infusion of neuromuscular blockade may prolong skeletal muscle weakness due to myopathy caused by critical illness, in patients on steroids or with multiple organ failure. Rocuronium bromide has been shown to be very stable and has no effect on heart rate or blood pressure.
Safety
Limited information on the use of rocuronium during breastfeeding indicates that no adverse infant effects occur. Because it is short acting, highly polar and poorly absorbed orally, it is not likely to reach the breastmilk in high concentration or to reach the bloodstream of the infant. When a combination of anesthetic agents is used for a procedure, follow the recommendations for the most problematic medication used during the procedure. General anesthesia for cesarean section using rocuronium as a component may delay the onset of lactation.
Drug interactions
Potentially hazardous interactions with other drugs
Anaesthetics: enhanced muscle relaxant effect.
Anti-arrhythmics: procainamide enhances muscle
relaxant effect.
Antibacterials: effect enhanced by aminoglycosides,
clindamycin, polymyxins and piperacillin.
Antiepileptics: muscle relaxant effects antagonised by
carbamazepine; effects reduced by long-term use of
fosphenytoin and phenytoin but might be increased
by acute use.
Botulinum toxin: neuromuscular block enhanced
(risk of toxicity).
Metabolism
Rocuronium is metabolised by the liver to a less active
metabolite, 17-desacetylrocuronium which is reported to
have weak neuromuscular blocking effect.
Up to 40% of a dose may be excreted in the urine within
24 hours; rocuronium is also excreted in the bile. After
injection of a radiolabelled dose of rocuronium bromide,
excretion of the radiolabel is on average 47% in urine
and 43% in faeces after 9 days. Approximately 50% is
recovered as the parent compound. No metabolites are
detected in plasma.