Neuromuscular Blocking Agent (NMBA)

• NMBAs are used to facilitate intubation when performing RSI
• Importantly, NMBAs have no analgesic or amnestic effects
• Indiscriminate and repeated dosing of NMBA can lead to prolonged recovery and critical illness polyneuromyopathy, a devastating complication of critical illness that prolongs ventilation, ICU/hospital length of stay, and increases mortality
• Take Home Point: provide adequate amounts of sedation and analgesia to your intubated ED patients rather then reflexively giving repeated doses of NMBA