The haemodynamic profile of cisatracurium

In anaesthetic practice there is a need for a non-depolarizing neuromuscular-blocking agent that combines organ-independent clearance with cardiovascular stability. Cisatracurium, a stereoisomer of atracurium, closely approaches this profile. Cisatracurium does not display significant effects on cardiovascular parameters in a variety of patient populations, including healthy adults, elderly patients, children (aged 2-12 years) or those with severe cardiovascular disease. The lack of dose related histamine release or clinically relevant effects on haemodynamic parameters in healthy patients in response to rapid injection of doses up to and including eight times the dose that produced 95% of the maximum effect (the highest dose tested) indicates a wide margin of cardiovascular safety.