Onset and duration of mivacurium-induced neuromuscular blockade in children with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease. A case series with five children

Neuromuscular monitoring of a patient with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease; which monitoring technique is adequate? - A case report and literature review

BACKGROUND

Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMTD) is a hereditary polyneuropathy associated with a life-threatening risk of pulmonary complications.

CASE

A 61-year-old male with CMTD for 40 years was admitted for the drainage of an abscess in his left ankle. Total intravenous anesthesia was administered, and an electromyography device was attached to the hand for neuromuscular monitoring; however, the response was not measured. Kinemyography and acceleromyography devices were attached to both hands, and responses were obtained. After neuromuscular blockade (NMB) with rocuronium 0.6 mg/kg, the train-of-four (TOF) response on kinemyography was normally measured, but the post-tetanic count on acceleromyography consistently showed 0 during anesthesia. Sugammadex 200 mg was injected to reverse the NMB. After 5 min, the TOF ratios for kinemyography and acceleromyography exceeded 90%. The patient recovered without any complications.

CONCLUSIONS

For CMTD patients, acceleromyography or kinemyography is superior to electromyography, and sugammadex can be used to reverse NMB successfully.

Anesthesia in a patient with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease with pneumothorax: a case report

A 21-year-old man underwent wedge resection for treatment of pneumothorax. This patient had been diagnosed with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMTD) and had a history of surgical treatment of scoliosis, pneumothorax, foot deformity, and arm dislocation. Additionally, the patient showed signs of muscle weakness and atrophy in the upper and lower extremities.

CMTD is genetically associated with motor and sensory neuropathy and reportedly has an association with malignant hyperthermia or a delayed muscle relaxation mechanism. In the present case, total intravenous anesthesia was performed with a combination of propofol and remifentanil, and rocuronium was administered as a neuromuscular blocking agent. Surgery was performed without delayed muscle relaxation or any other specific intraoperative adverse events.

[Neuromuscular monitoring in patients with neuromuscular diseases. Options and needs]

The management of general anaesthesia in patients with neuromuscular disorders remains challenging. The underlying causes and clinical presentations of these rare heterogeneous diseases are highly variable and the only common feature is usually skeletal muscle weakness. The appropriate choice and dosage of muscle relaxants are important and an adequate monitoring of the neuromuscular blockade is obligatory. Neuromuscular monitoring can be complicated because of disease-induced alterations in neurophysiology; however, continuous monitoring of the neuromuscular blockade should be realized to accurately determine the recovery from the blockade. These patients very often have an increased risk for postoperative pulmonary complications, which increases further if a residual neuromuscular blockade is present.

Perioperative care of patients with neuromuscular disease and dysfunction

A variety of different pathologies result in disease phenotypes that are summarized as neuromuscular diseases because they share commonalty in their clinical consequences for the patient: a progressive weakening of the skeletal muscles. Distinct caution and appropriate changes to the anesthetic plan are advised when care is provided during the perioperative period. The choice of anesthetic technique, anesthetic drugs, and neuromuscular blockade always depends on the type of neuromuscular disease and the surgical procedure planned. A clear diagnosis of the underlying disease and sufficient knowledge and understanding of the pathophysiology are of paramount importance to the practitioner and guide optimal perioperative management of affected patients.

Mivacurium-induced neuromuscular block in adult patients suffering from Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease

PURPOSE

The response to non-depolarizing neuromuscular blocking drugs is variable in patients with Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease. We speculated that CMT involvement of the monitored muscle may be partially responsible for this inconsistency. We therefore investigated the response to a standard dose of mivacurium simultaneously assessed at adductor pollicis (AP) and orbicularis oculi (OO) muscles in five patients with CMT.

CLINICAL FEATURES

Over a period of one year, five adult patients with CMT scheduled for orthopedic surgery were studied. The right arm and the right supercilliary arch were prepared for acceleromyographic (AMG) neuromuscular monitoring. The AMG probes were attached at the distal interphalangeal joint of the right thumb and on the right upper eyelid to record the response of the AP and OO, respectively. The ulnar nerve and upper part of the facial nerve were stimulated supramaximally with repeated train-of-four stimuli (2 Hz, 0.2 msec) every 15 sec via applied surface electrodes. Following monitor calibration and induction of general anesthesia, mivacurium 0.2 mg x kg(- 1) iv was given, and the time course of relaxation and recovery were assessed. Times to spontaneous recovery of T1 to 25% were 15 +/- 3 vs 12 +/- 4 min in the AP and OO muscle groups respectively, whereas times to 90% recovery were 23 +/- 5 vs 29 +/- 10 min, respectively.

CONCLUSION

The onset and recovery characteristics associated with mivacurium-induced neuromuscular block were similar at the AP and OO muscle groups. A near normal response to mivacurium was observed in this small series of patients with CMT disease.