Question

Which muscle directly correlates with diaphragm and laryngeal muscles when monitoring neuromuscular blockade, and how is this correlation clinically relevant?

Option 1: Adductor pollicis
Option 2: Quadriceps femoris
Option 3: Gastrocnemius
Option 4: Biceps brachii

Answer 1

The adductor pollicis muscle correlates with the diaphragm and laryngeal muscles during neuromuscular blockade monitoring, providing insight into the patient's ability to breathe and protect the airway post-surgery.

Step-by-step explanation:

The muscle that directly correlates with the diaphragm and laryngeal muscles when monitoring neuromuscular blockade is the adductor pollicis. When an anesthesiologist uses neuromuscular blocking agents during surgery to relax the patient's muscles, it's crucial to monitor the degree of the blockade to ensure both effective anaesthesia and patient safety. The level of blockade at the adductor pollicis muscle provides a reliable indication of the neuromuscular blockade at the diaphragm, which is necessary for breathing, and the laryngeal muscles, which are involved in protecting the airway and enabling voice production. This correlation is clinically relevant as it helps the anesthesiologist determine when the patient is sufficiently recovered from the blockade to safely breathe on their own and protect their airway, thereby indicating when it is safe to remove the endotracheal tube after surgery.