Objective: To compare the effects of different types of non-depolarizing muscle relaxants including rocuronium,cis-atracurium and mivacurium on intraocular pressure of glaucoma patients with elevated intraocular pressure
during induction of general anesthesia. Methods: Glaucoma patients with intraocular pressure >21 mmHg were
randomly assigned to rocuronium group, cis-atracurium group and mivacurium group. After target controlled
infusion of propofol until the bispectral index (BIS) lower than 55, 0.6 mg/kg rocuronium, 0.1 mg/kg cisatracurium and 0.2 mg/kg mivacurium were injected intravenously according to different groups. The flexible
laryngeal mask was placed after the train-of-four stimulation (TOF) ratio decreased to 0 and the mechanical
ventilation was implemented immediately. General anesthesia was maintained by 1.5–2.0 μg/kg fentanyl and 2%–
3% sevoflurane. Intraocular pressure and hemodynamic parameters were measured before anesthesia induction
(T0), after sedation (T1), after muscle relaxation (T2), and after laryngeal mask insertion (T3). Results: The
intraocular pressure of patients in rocuronium group, cis-atracurium group and mivacurium group at T1, T2, T3
were lower than baseline (T0), and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.001); There was no significant
difference in intraocular pressure at T2 compared with T1 in rocuronium group, cis-atracurium group and
mivacurium group (P=0.337, P=0.520 and P=0.062 respectively); The difference of intraocular pressure between
T2 and T1 in rocuronium group, cis-atracurium group and mivacurium group were (0.68±4.39), (0.36±3.72)
and (1.27±3.91) mmHg respectively and there was no significant difference among the groups (P=0.353). Conclusion: The non-depolarizing muscle relaxants rocuronium, cis-atracurium and mivacurium have no
significant effect on the intraocular pressure of glaucoma patients with elevated intraocular pressure, and there is
no significant difference among the three muscle relaxants.