A Simulation and a Control System of Neuromuscular Blockade

Abstract

The recently introduced muscle relaxants, vecuronium, has a shorter duration of action and a more rapid recovery than other nondepolarizing muscle relaxant. A combined bolus and infusion method is suggested as more preferable than multiple bolus one for the administration of the vecuronium because of the reasons such that it can provide rapidly achieving constant concentrations, and it can maintain its concentration steady for a long term periods. In this bolus and infusion method, our pharmacokinetic,-dynamic model can simulate the time course of its blockade and make it possible to predict appropriate infusion rate to attain desired level of its blockade. However, it is true that infusion rate predicted by simulation can’t precisely determined. The reason is that these simulation is based on highly variable pharmacokinetic,-dynamic parameters, and these errors shall be emphasized by the difference of patient’s condition of kidney, liver function, temperature difference, age, and volume of blood loss.