Pharmacokinetics of atracurium besylate in healthy patients (after a single i.v. bolus dose).

The plasma decay of atracurium besylate was examined in two groups of six patients. Group I received atracurium 0.6 mg kg-1 and group II 0.3 mg kg-1 as a single bolus dose i.v. The plasma concentrations were measured by high performance liquid chromatography. An individual two-compartment pharmacokinetic model was used for interpretation. The results from the two groups were not significantly different, giving overall mean values of 2 min (+/- 0.2 SEM) for the distribution half-life (T1/2 alpha), 19.9 min (+/- 0.6) for the elimination half-life (T1/2 beta), 5.5 ml min-1 kg-1 (+/- 0.2) for total clearance (Cl) and 157 ml kg-1 (+/- 7) for total distribution volume (Varea).