Comparison of the adductor pollicis and the first dorsal interosseous muscles during atracurium and vecuronium blockade: an electromyographic study.

The pattern of neuromuscular blockade in the first dorsal interosseous muscle (1st DI) and the adductor pollicis muscle was compared electromyographically following atracurium or vecuronium. There were no clinically significant differences between the muscles in respect of onset time, maximum blockade, train-of-four ratio, or recovery index. There were no problems in recording a consistent electromyogram from the 1st DI, which appears to be well suited to clinical monitoring.