Seattle, WA May 18, 2022 - In the May 2023 issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia, Thilen et al. report exciting results from a protocol that completely eliminated post-operative residual neuromuscular blockade (PRNMB) in an article titled Management of Muscle Relaxation with Rocuronium and Reversal with Neostigmine or Sugammadex Guided by [TwitchView] Quantitative Neuromuscular Monitoring. Of note, Thilen et al. achieved this groundbreaking advance in patient safety using the TwitchView® Train of Four (TOF) monitor while maintaining a role for neostigmine as a reversal strategy, resulting in pharmacologic cost savings of $42 per patient.
Dr. Stephan Thilen, who is also the first author on the 2023 ASA Guidelines for Neuromuscular Blockade, commented:
“Our profession has long awaited quantitative neuromuscular monitors designed for routine clinical care that are capable of delivering consistent results. With the next generation quantitative monitors like TwitchView and protocols like those used in our study, I am confident that anesthesia departments can successfully incorporate the practices outlined in the 2023 American Society of Anesthesiologists Practice Guidelines for Monitoring and Antagonism of Neuromuscular Blockade in order to prevent residual neuromuscular blockade while reducing overall hospital costs."
Justin Hulvershorn, Blink DC’s CEO, commented:
“We created the TwitchView® Train of Four Monitor to empower anesthesia providers to make quantitative neuromuscular monitoring a standard of care, and Dr. Thilen’s achievements confirm the patient safety advances and cost savings that can result. Partnering with our established customers, our team has developed customized hospital-wide programs to drive adoption of quantitative TOF monitors and improve management of neuromuscular blockade. Our programs involve education, reliable quantitative neuromuscular monitoring provided by our TwitchView Monitor, reversal protocols like those developed by Dr. Thilen, and electronic health record connectivity to track progress and support quality initiatives. We are excited to play our role in the evolution of anesthesia practices and elimination of post-operative residual neuromuscular blockade.”
