Background and objective: Different drugs, including hypnotics, may influence the pharmacodynamic effects of neuromuscular blockers (NMB). The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of propofol and etomidate on cisatracurium-induced neuromuscular blockade. Method: We included 60 patients, ASA I and II, undergoing elective surgery under general anesthesia in the study and randomly allocated them into two groups, according to their hypnotic drug: GI (propofol) and GII (etomidate). Patients received intramuscular (IM) midazolam (0.1mg.kg-1) as premedication and we performed induction with propofol (2.5mg.kg-1) or etomidate (0.3mg.kg1), preceded by fentanyl (250mg) and followed by cisatracurium (0.1mg.kg-1). The patients were ventilated with 100% oxygen until obtaining a reduction of 95% or more in the adductor pollicis response amplitude, with subsequent laryngoscopy and tracheal intubation. Neuromuscular function was monitored by acceleromyograhpy. We evaluated the onset of action of cisatracurium, tracheal intubation conditions, and hemodynamic repercussions. Results: The mean time and standard deviations of cisatracurium onset were: GI (86.6. ±. 14.3. s) and GII (116.9. ±. 11.6. s), with a significant difference (p. <. 0, 0001). Intubation conditions were acceptable in 100% of GI and 53.3% of GII patients (p. <. 0.0001). Conclusion: Induction of neuromuscular blockade with cisatracurium was faster, with better intubation conditions in patients receiving propofol compared to those receiving etomidate, without hemodynamic repercussions. © 2013 Elsevier Editora Ltda.633249253Fuchs-Buder, T., Claudius, C., Skovgaard, L.T., Good clinical research practice in pharmacodynamic studies of neuromuscular blocking agents II: the Stockholm revision (2007) Acta Anaesthesiol Scand, 51, pp. 789-808Viby-Mogensen, J., Engbaek, J., Eriksson, L.I., Good clinical research practice (GCRP) in pharmacodynamic studies of neuromuscular blocking agents (1996) Acta Anaesthesiol Scand, 40, pp. 59-74Viby-Mogensen, J., Ostergaard, D., Donati, F., Pharmacokinetic studies of neuromuscular blocking agents: good clinical research practice (GCRP) (2000) Acta Anaesthesiol Scand, 44, pp. 1169-1190Muir, A.W., Anderson, K.A., POW, E., Interaction between rocuronium bromide and some drugs, used during anaesthesia (1994) Eur J Anaesthesiol, 11 (SUPPL 9), pp. 93-98Gill, R.S., Scott, R.P.F., Etomidate short the onset time of neuromuscular block (1992) Br J Anaesth, 69, pp. 444-446Dilger, J.P., Liu, Y., Vidal, A.M., Interactions of general anaesthetics with single acetylcholine receptor channels (1995) Eur J Anaesthesiol, 12, pp. 31-39Abdel-Zaher, A.O., Askar, F.G., The myoneural effects of propofol emulsion (Diprivan) on the nerve-muscle preparations of rats (1997) Pharmacol Res, 36 (4), pp. 323-332Braga, A.F.A., Braga, F.S.B., Potério, G.M.B., The effect of different doses of propofol on tracheal intubating conditions without muscle relaxant in children (2001) Eur J Anaesthesiol, 18, pp. 384-388Savarese, J.J., Lien, C.A., Belmont, M.R., The clinical pharmacology of new benzylisoquinoline-diester compounds, with special consideration of cisatracurium and mivacurium (1997) Anaesthesist, 46, pp. 840-849Munhoz, D.C., Braga, A.F.A., Potério, G.M.B., Influência do propofol e do etomidato no bloqueio neuromuscular produzido pelo rocurônio Avaliação pela aceleromiografia (2002) Rev Bras Anestesiol, 52, pp. 673-680Bluestein, L.S., Stinson, L.W., Lennon, R.L., Evaluation of cisatracurium, a new neuromuscular blocking agent, for tracheal intubation (1996) Can J Anaesth, 43, pp. 925-931Kirov, K., Motamed, C., Decailliot, F., Comparison of the neuromuscular blocking effect of cisatracurium and atracurium on the larynx and adductor pollicis (2004) Acta Anaesthesiol Scand, 48, pp. 577-581Taha, S.K., Siddik-Sayyid, S.M., Alameddine, M., Propofol is superior to thiopental for intubation without muscle relaxants (2005) Can J Anaesth, 52, pp. 249-253Erhan, E., Ugur, G., Gunusen, I., Propofol - not thiopental or etomidate - with remifentanil provides adequate intubating conditions in the absence of neuromuscular blockade (2003) Can J Anaesth, 50, pp. 108-115Barker, P., Langton, J.A., Wilson, I.G., Movements of the vocal cords on induction of anaesthesia with thiopentone or propofol (1992) Br J Anaesth, 69, pp. 23-25Brown, G.W., Patel, Ellis, F.R., Comparison of propofol and thiopentone for laryngeal mask insertion (1991) Anaesthesia, 46, pp. 771-772Kallar, M.D., Propofol allows intubation without relaxants (1990) Anesthesiology, 73, pp. A21Woods, A.W., Allam, S., Tracheal intubation without the use neuromuscular blocking agents (2005) Br J Anaesth, 94, pp. 151-158Sneyd, R., O' Sullivan, E., Tracheal intubation without neuromuscular blocking agents: is there any point? (2010) Br J Anaesth, 104, pp. 535-537Siddik-Sayyid, S.M., Taha, S.K., Aouad, M.T., Propofol 2m/kg is superior to propofol 2mg/kg for tracheal intubation in children during sevoflurane induction (2011) Acta Anaesthesiol Scand, 55, pp. 535-538De Mey, J.C., De Baerdemaeker, L., De Laat, M., The onset of neuromuscular block at the masseter muscle as a predictor of optimal intubating conditions with rocuronium (1999) Eur J Anaesthesiol, 16, pp. 387-389Braga Ade, F., Munoz, D.C., Braga, F.S., Influence of stimulus frequency on blockade induced by pancuronium and rocuronium: study on rats phrenic nerve-diaphragm preparation (2007) Acta Cir Bras, 22, pp. 446-450Curran, M.J., Donati, F., Bevan, D.R., Onset and recovery of atracurium and suxamethonium - induced neuromuscular blockade with simultaneous train-of-four and single twitch stimulation (1987) Br J Anaesth, 59, pp. 989-994Girling, K.J., Mahajan, R.P., The effect of stabilization on the onset of neuromuscular block when assessed using accelerometry (1996) Anesth Analg, 82, pp. 1257-1260McCoy, E.P., Mirakhur, R.K., Maddineni, V.R., Pharmacokinetics of rocuronium after bolus and continuous infusion during halothane anaesthesia (1995) Br J Anaesth, 76, pp. 29-33Saxena, P.R., Dhasmana, K.M., Prakash, O., A comparison of systemic and regional haemodynamic effects of d-tubocurarine, pancuronium. and vecuronium (1983) Anesthesiology, 59, pp. 102-108Scott, R.P.F., Savarese, J.J., Basta, S.J., Clinical pharmacology of atracurium given high dose (1986) Br J Anaesth, 58, pp. 834-838Tullock, W.C., Diana, P., Cook, D.R., Neuromuscular and cardiovascular effects of high-dose vecuronium (1990) Anesth Analg, 70, pp. 86-90Aun, C.S.T., Sung, R.Y.T., O'Meara, M.E., Cardiovascular effects of intravenous induction in children: comparison between propofol and thiopentone (1993) Br J Anaesth, 70, pp. 647-653Fuchs-Buder, T., Claudius, C., Skovgaard, L.T., Good clinical research practice in pharmacodynamic studies of neuromuscular blocking agents II: the Stockholm revision (2007) Acta Anaesthesiol Scand, 51, pp. 789-808Viby-Mogensen, J., Engbaek, J., Eriksson, L.I., Good clinical research practice (GCRP) in pharmacodynamic studies of neuromuscular blocking agents (1996) Acta Anaesthesiol Scand, 40, pp. 59-74Viby-Mogensen, J., Ostergaard, D., Donati, F., Pharmacokinetic studies of neuromuscular blocking agents: good clinical research practice (GCRP) (2000) Acta Anaesthesiol Scand, 44, pp. 1169-1190Muir, A.W., Anderson, K.A., POW, E., Interaction between rocuronium bromide and some drugs, used during anaesthesia (1994) Eur J Anaesthesiol, 11 (SUPPL 9), pp. 93-98Gill, R.S., Scott, R.P.F., Etomidate short the onset time of neuromuscular block (1992) Br J Anaesth, 69, pp. 444-446Dilger, J.P., Liu, Y., Vidal, A.M., Interactions of general anaesthetics with single acetylcholine receptor channels (1995) Eur J Anaesthesiol, 12, pp. 31-39Abdel-Zaher, A.O., Askar, F.G., The myoneural effects of propofol emulsion (Diprivan) on the nerve-muscle preparations of rats (1997) Pharmacol Res, 36 (4), pp. 323-332Braga, A.F.A., Braga, F.S.B., Potério, G.M.B., The effect of different doses of propofol on tracheal intubating conditions without muscle relaxant in children (2001) Eur J Anaesthesiol, 18, pp. 384-388Savarese, J.J., Lien, C.A., Belmont, M.R., The clinical pharmacology of new benzylisoquinoline-diester compounds, with special consideration of cisatracurium and mivacurium (1997) Anaesthesist, 46, pp. 840-849Munhoz, D.C., Braga, A.F.A., Potério, G.M.B., Influência do propofol e do etomidato no bloqueio neuromuscular produzido pelo rocurônio Avaliação pela aceleromiografia (2002) Rev Bras Anestesiol, 52, pp. 673-680Bluestein, L.S., Stinson, L.W., Lennon, R.L., Evaluation of cisatracurium, a new neuromuscular blocking agent, for tracheal intubation (1996) Can J Anaesth, 43, pp. 925-931Kirov, K., Motamed, C., Decailliot, F., Comparison of the neuromuscular blocking effect of cisatracurium and atracurium on the larynx and adductor pollicis (2004) Acta Anaesthesiol Scand, 48, pp. 577-581Taha, S.K., Siddik-Sayyid, S.M., Alameddine, M., Propofol is superior to thiopental for intubation without muscle relaxants (2005) Can J Anaesth, 52, pp. 249-253Erhan, E., Ugur, G., Gunusen, I., Propofol - not thiopental or etomidate - with remifentanil provides adequate intubating conditions in the absence of neuromuscular blockade (2003) Can J Anaesth, 50, pp. 108-115Barker, P., Langton, J.A., Wilson, I.G., Movements of the vocal cords on induction of anaesthesia with thiopentone or propofol (1992) Br J Anaesth, 69, pp. 23-25Brown, G.W., Patel, Ellis, F.R., Comparison of propofol and thiopentone for laryngeal mask insertion (1991) Anaesthesia, 46, pp. 771-772Kallar, M.D., Propofol allows intubation without relaxants (1990) Anesthesiology, 73, pp. A21Woods, A.W., Allam, S., Tracheal intubation without the use neuromuscular blocking agents (2005) Br J Anaesth, 94, pp. 151-158Sneyd, R., O' Sullivan, E., Tracheal intubation without neuromuscular blocking agents: is there any point? (2010) Br J Anaesth, 104, pp. 535-537Siddik-Sayyid, S.M., Taha, S.K., Aouad, M.T., Propofol 2m/kg is superior to propofol 2mg/kg for tracheal intubation in children during sevoflurane induction (2011) Acta Anaesthesiol Scand, 55, pp. 535-538De Mey, J.C., De Baerdemaeker, L., De Laat, M., The onset of neuromuscular block at the masseter muscle as a predictor of optimal intubating conditions with rocuronium (1999) Eur J Anaesthesiol, 16, pp. 387-389Braga Ade, F., Munoz, D.C., Braga, F.S., Influence of stimulus frequency on blockade induced by pancuronium and rocuronium: study on rats phrenic nerve-diaphragm preparation (2007) Acta Cir Bras, 22, pp. 446-450Curran, M.J., Donati, F., Bevan, D.R., Onset and recovery of atracurium and suxamethonium - induced neuromuscular blockade with simultaneous train-of-four and single twitch stimulation (1987) Br J Anaesth, 59, pp. 989-994Girling, K.J., Mahajan, R.P., The effect of stabilization on the onset of neuromuscular block when assessed using accelerometry (1996) Anesth Analg, 82, pp. 1257-1260McCoy, E.P., Mirakhur, R.K., Maddineni, V.R., Pharmacokinetics of rocuronium after bolus and continuous infusion during halothane anaesthesia (1995) Br J Anaesth, 76, pp. 29-33Saxena, P.R., Dhasmana, K.M., Prakash, O., A comparison of systemic and regional haemodynamic effects of d-tubocurarine, pancuronium. and vecuronium (1983) Anesthesiology, 59, pp. 102-108Scott, R.P.F., Savarese, J.J., Basta, S.J., Clinical pharmacology of atracurium given high dose (1986) Br J Anaesth, 58, pp. 834-838Tullock, W.C., Diana, P., Cook, D.R., Neuromuscular and cardiovascular effects of high-dose vecuronium (1990) Anesth Analg, 70, pp. 86-90Aun, C.S.T., Sung, R.Y.T., O'Meara, M.E., Cardiovascular effects of intravenous induction in children: comparison between propofol and thiopentone (1993) Br J Anaesth, 70, pp. 647-653