POPULAR: postaneasthesia pulmonary complications after use of muscle relaxants ir Europe

The aim of this study was to check if the incorrect use of muscle relaxants, their reversal agents or neuromuscular monitoring increases the incidence of postoperative pulmonary complications or duration of hospitalization. Objectives of the study - to analyze Lithuanian and foreign medical literature on pulmonary complications after anesthesia, involving the use of muscle relaxants, to assess the influence of neuromuscular blockade under general anesthesia to postoperative pulmonary complication‘s rate, and to evaluate the influence of neuromuscular blockade to patients' hospital stay. Methods and study participants - a prospective, observational study. The researchers did not change the conventional patients care tactics. Postoperative pulmonary complications were determined considering the state of post-operative patients and doctors advise records of events that meet the definition of postoperative pulmonary complications. The results - the study included 287 patients with an average age of 49.82 ± 16.77. 93.7% (269) operations were planned and only 6.3% (18) - urgent. 86.1% (247) patients received anesthesia during evaporative anesthetics and 13.9% (40) - injecting. Tracheal intubation and muscle relaxants were given for 85% (244) of cases. Mostly used muscle relaxant was rocuronium 48.8% (140). Neuromuscular junction monitoring for anesthesia was applied to only 2.8% (8) cases. A statistically significant relationship between muscle relaxants and postoperative pulmonary complications in postoperative period were not observed. But it turned out that the patients who had muscle relaxants time of hospitalization was significantly higher than those patients who were not givent muscle relaxants (p = 0.001). Conclusion - The use of muscle relaxants during general anesthesia did not affect the risk of postoperative pulmonary complications, however, resulted in a greater time of hospitalization. Recommendations - In order to avoid the risk of postoperative pulmonary complications neuromuscular monitoring and usage of reversal agents should be used more often