Clinical Research Directory

Does Electromyography Improve Precision and Reliability of Neuromuscular Monitoring in Paediatric Patients

Neuromuscular monitoring is used as a standard surveillance method of neuromuscular function to ensure full recovery at the end of anaesthesia. The currently available devices properly provide respective information in adults but not in children. Furthermore, response to neuromuscular blocking agents differs between adults and children due to age-related differences in body composition, physiological function, and acetylcholine receptor density. Recently, electromyographic (EMG) technologies to monitor neuromuscular function were increasingly developed including disposables for nerve stimulation and measurement of the compound muscle action potential in children. However, it is still unclear whether the precision and reliability of these devices is superior to the currently available neuromuscular monitoring for children based on kinemyography (KMG). The ETCETERA study will test the hypothesis that neither EMG nor KMG provides inferior train-of-four readings to the respective reference method in infants and children below five years.