Vecuronium Bromide (VB)

Vecuronium is a muscle relaxant in the category of non-depolarizing blocking agents. Vecuronium bromide is indicated as an adjunct to general anesthesia, to facilitate endotracheal intubation and to provide skeletal muscle relaxation during surgery or mechanical ventilation. Although vecuronium bromide is often thought of as a muscle relaxant, it may be more accurate to classify it as a paralyzing agent. Vecuronium"""s structure is derived from the same aminosteroid structure as pancuronium, but it is missing the methyl group on the piperidine nitrogen that is attached to the """A""" ring, making it monoquaternary, like D-tubocurarine. It has the same configuration at all ten stereocentres as pancuronium, and is a single-isomer preparation. Vecuronium operates by competing for the cholinoceptors at the motor end plate thereby exerting its muscle-relaxing properties which are used adjunctively to general anesthesia.