Neuromuscular Blockade in Patients With Severe Renal Impairment

This will be a prospective, randomized, double-blinded study of surgical patients with severe renal impairment that seeks to address the following:

Specific Aim:

To determine whether rocuronium-induced moderate neuromuscular blockade and reversal with sugammadex achieves recovery of neuromuscular function (TOF ≥ 0.9) faster than reversal of cisatracurium-induced moderate neuromuscular blockade and reversal with neostigmine in patients with severe renal impairment.

Primary Hypothesis:

Patients with severe renal impairment who are reversed with sugammadex after rocuronium will achieve a TOF ≥0.9 within a time frame that is one-third of the time it takes for reversal with neostigmine after cisatracurium.

Inclusion criteria

• 18-80 years old
• Severe renal impairment (CrCl < 30 mL/min)
• Undergoing non-emergent surgery that requires neuromuscular blockade
• Planned extubation in the operating room immediately after surgery
• American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical status classification 3 to 4
• Willing and able to consent in English or Spanish
• No personal history of neuromuscular disease

Exclusion criteria

• Age less than 18 or older than 80
• Patient does not speak English or Spanish
• Planned postoperative intubation/ventilation
• Allergy to sugammadex, neostigmine, glycopyrrolate, cisatracurium, or rocuronium
• Family or personal history of malignant hyperthermia
• Patient refusal
• Pregnant or nursing women
• "Stat" (emergent) cases
• Pre-existing muscle weakness of any etiology
• Patients on toremifene (a selective estrogen receptor modulator)
• Women on oral contraceptives who do not wish to use a non-hormonal method of contraception for 7 days following surgery