Effect of Rocuronium Versus Succinylcholine on Time to Neurosurgical Intervention in Patients with Intra-Cranial Hemorrhage

Abstract

Specific Aims: To determine if patients with severe traumatic brain injury receiving a longer-acting neuromuscular blocking agent (rocuronium) in RSI lead to a delay in neurosurgical procedures compared to patients receiving a short-acting neuromuscular blocking agent (succinylcholine). Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study conducted in an academic ED in the United States. A list of patients who received RSI in the ED between the periods 1 Jan 2014 to 1 October 2017, was generated from an RSI database maintained by the department of emergency medicine. Data was collected from electronic medical records and entered into Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap). The primary outcome variable was the time from RSI to neurosurgical procedure. Information collected included patient demographics, medications used, and clinical information about the head injury. Data regarding timing of RSI, neurosurgeon assessment, and subsequent neurosurgical procedure were also collected. Main Results: The median time from ED presentation to RSI was 18 (10-83) minutes with succinylcholine and 46 (16-133) minutes with rocuronium (p=0.187). The median time from RSI to neurosurgeon assessment was 64 (32-211) minutes with succinylcholine and 123 (34-165) minutes with rocuronium (p=0.950). Neurosurgeon assessment occurred >120 min after RSI in 38% (n=15) patients with succinylcholine and 50% (n=9) patients with rocuronium. The median time from RSI to neurosurgical procedure was 179 (93-390) minutes with succinylcholine and 155 (84-226) minutes with rocuronium (p=0.616). Conclusions: Patients with severe traumatic brain injury receiving rocuronium in RSI did not have a significantly longer time to neurosurgical procedure compared to patients receiving succinylcholine.