Paediatric anaesthesia & critical care
Current Use, Monitoring and Reversal of Neuromuscular Block in Pediatric Anesthesia and Intensive Care: A Web‐Based Cross‐Sectional European Society of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care (ESAIC) Survey
Authors' conclusion
Self-reported clinical practice regarding neuromuscular blocking agent use in pediatric patients remains heterogeneous. Children are frequently intubated without neuromuscular blocking agents and extubated without consistent reversal. Quantitative neuromuscular monitoring remains uncommon.
Study context
- Population
- Members of ESAIC, European Society of Paediatric Anaesthesia (ESPA), and the French and Spanish national pediatric anesthesiology societies involved in pediatric airway management across 43 countriesresponses analysed
- Participants
- 874 members
- Outcome
- Self-reported NMBA practice patterns (use, monitoring, reversal) in pediatric anesthesia and intensive care
Methodological detailsweb-based survey, anonymous, self-reported, international, Survey conducted 12 November to 12 December 2025, 83.5% of participants from Europe; 71.2% in mixed pediatric anesthesia and intensive care settings
- Web-based survey
- Anonymous
- Self-reported
- International
- Survey conducted 12 November to 12 December 2025
- 83.5% of participants from Europe; 71.2% in mixed pediatric anesthesia and intensive care settings
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
NMBA use, monitoring and reversal practice
- Rocuronium most used NMBA for routine tracheal intubation
- 68% (95% CI 65%-71%)
- Rocuronium most used NMBA for RSI
- 67% (95% CI 64%-70%)
- NMBA used "always" or "mostly" before routine intubation, neonates (≤ 30 days)
- 47%
- NMBA used "always" or "mostly" before routine intubation, infants (< 1 year)
- 50%
- NMBA used "rarely" or "never", neonates
- 30%
- NMBA used "rarely" or "never", infants
- 24%
- Adequacy of NMB assessed by fixed time interval after NMBA
- 56%
- Reversal "always" administered before extubation
- 27%
- Reversal "rarely" administered
- 9.3%
- Reversal "never" administered
- 2.9%
- Quantitative NM monitoring used to guide reversal
- half of participants
- Sugammadex used
- 47%
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Original publication
Current Use, Monitoring and Reversal of Neuromuscular Block in Pediatric Anesthesia and Intensive Care: A Web‐Based Cross‐Sectional ESAIC Survey. Paediatr Anaesth. Published 15 August 2026. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →