The Impact of Quantitative Neuromuscular Monitoring in the PACU on Residual Blockade and Postoperative Recovery

Neuromuscular blocking drugs (NMBDs) provide anesthesiologists with powerful intraoperative tools, but their use carries the potential risk of serious postoperative complications. NMBD-induced muscle weakness that lingers into the postoperative period, known as postoperative residual curarization (PORC), is present in as many as 40% of all patients that receive neuromuscular blocking agents. The Post Anesthesia Care Unit will be introducing monitoring as part of standard of care. This study will collect data about patients who receive NMBDs and examine the impact of monitoring on incidences of PORC. Our study is designed to test the following hypotheses: Hypothesis 1: The initiation of quantitative TOF monitoring as part of the standard PACU entry evaluation will change practitioner behavior in a manner that decreases the incidence of PORC in surgical patients at VUMC. Hypothesis 2: The initiation of the routine TOF monitoring program will decrease the incidence of short- and long-term postoperative complications at VUMC.