Clinical pharmacology of pipecuronium in infants and children during halothane anesthesia.

We determined the cumulative dose-response relations of pipecuronium in infants and children during nitrous oxidehalothane anesthesia. Neuromuscular blockade was monitored by recording the electromyographic activity of the adductor pollicis muscle resulting from supramaximal stimulation of the ulnar nerve at 2 Hz for 2 s at 10-s intervals. Patients were stratified into four groups according to age: 3 mo or older but not yet 6 mo (n = 10), 6 mo or older but not yet 12 mo (n = 10), 1 yr or older but not yet 3 yr (n = 10), and 3 yr or older but not yet 6 yr (n = 9).