Use of the muscle relaxant atracurium in anephric patients: preliminary communication.

Atracurium is a new, non-depolarizing muscle relaxant which rapidly breaks down in vivo and appears to require neither renal nor hepatic function for its elimination. As the commonly used non-depolarizing muscle relaxants carry the risk of prolonged effect when used in anephric patients, atracurium appears to have special promise in this situation. A preliminary account of the successful use of the relaxant in 20 anephric patients is recorded and evidence presented that atracurium is, indeed, a suitable agent for use in patients with renal failure.