Abstract:

In order to determine the effect of age on the pharmacokinetics of pancuronium, twenty-four patients undergoing elective plastic surgery were studied. The patients were divided into three groups by their ages: Group 1-infants, 0.75 to 2.95 years (n = 5); Group 2-children, 4 to 14 years (n = 13); and Group 3-adults, 16 to 27 years (n = 6). After administered a bolus of pancuronium 100 μg/kg, an improved fluorimetric assay was used to measure the plasma concentrations of pancuronium. The pharmacokinetics of pancuronium may be best described mathematically by a two-compartment open model in all patients. The younger the patients, the larger the distribution volumes, the higher the Cl, and the lower the plasma concentrations of pancuronium. There were significant differences among the three groups regarding V1, V2, Vdss, Cl, AUC. T1/2β, MRT in Group 1 were longer than those in Groups 2 and 3. T1/2α and K21 were not significantly different among the three groups.

Key words: Pancuronium, Pharmacokinetics, Age