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World J Anesthesiol. Nov 27, 2015; 4(3): 66-72
Published online Nov 27, 2015. doi: 10.5313/wja.v4.i3.66
Sugammadex: Role in current anaesthetic practice and its safety benefits for patients
Michael V Copp, Thomas F Barrett
Michael V Copp, Thomas F Barrett, Department of Anaesthesia, Cheltenham General Hospital, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire GL53 7AN, United Kingdom
Author contributions: Copp MV and Barrett TF contributed equally to this work.
Conflict-of-interest statement: Copp MV has in the past received honoraria from MSD for serving as a speaker but none is related to this publication and MSD has not been involved in the writing of this article.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Correspondence to: Dr. Michael V Copp, FRCA, Consultant Anaesthetist, Department of Anaesthesia, Cheltenham General Hospital, Sandford Road, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire GL53 7AN, United Kingdom. michael.copp@glos.nhs.uk
Telephone: +44-3004-224143 Fax: +44-3004-223405
Received: May 20, 2015
Peer-review started: May 22, 2015
First decision: July 10, 2015
Revised: July 30, 2015
Accepted: August 20, 2015
Article in press: August 21, 2015
Published online: November 27, 2015
Processing time: 190 Days and 0.7 Hours
Core Tip

Core tip: Sugammadex is a new drug to reverse neuromuscular blockade. Its unique mechanism of action has revolutionized the management of neuromuscular block. For the first time anaesthetists have the ability to reverse safely and predictably from any level of neuromuscular blockade transforming its clinical management. Post-operative residual curarisation can be eliminated bringing significant safety benefits to patients. Sugammadex is expensive and anaesthetists need to use it in a cost effective way for appropriate patients and anaesthetic techniques. Clinical guidelines can help in ensuring that sugammadex is used responsibly in current clinical practice.