THE EFFECT OF HEXAFLUORENIUM ON THE NEUROMUSCULAR REFRACTORY PERIOD OF ANESTHETIZED MAN

¹ Anesthesiology Department, Clinical Center, National Institu Ies of health, Bethesda, Maryland

In anesthetized man, hexafluorenium. in a dose of 0.4 mg/kg i.v., did not cause neuromuscular blockade. It did however, decrease the neuromuscular refractory period, as determined by observation of both the tension and compound action potential of the indirectly stimulated adductor pollicis muscle. This is evidence for a direct effect of hexafluorenium at the neuromuscular junction. This effect on the neuromuscular refractony period is ol) posite to that of inhibitors of true cholinesterase, such as neostigmine and edrophonium.