What are the alternatives to pancuronium for neuromuscular-blocking agents?
Nondepolarizing neuromuscular-blocking agents, such as nonvagolytic agents with intermediate duration of action, are preferred to the longer-acting agent, pancuronium. Outside the United States, alternatives such as total intravenous anesthesia via propofol and opioid infusions with benzodiazepine supplementation with or without high thoracic epidural anesthesia are commonly used.