Effect of body build on the clearance of atracurium: Implication for drug dosing

Abstract

To determine factors that influenced the clearance (Cl) of atracurium, 80 adult patients of varying body build were given an atracurium infusion according to a predetermined profile, which was scaled by lean body mass (LBM). Cl was estimated at 50-60 min by the constant infusion rate required to maintain the steady-state plasma concentrations. The efficacy of scaling the absolute Cl estimates by body build variables, in which the absolute Cl estimate is divided by the body build variable to achieve similar scaled estimates in all patients, was assessed by the bias and precision of the individual scaled Cl estimates to those in patients with a 'normal' body build (23%-27% body fat). The effic..