Sugammadex vs. neostigmine and the risk of postoperative pulmonary complications after upper gastrointestinal endoscopic procedures: a propensity score matched analysis of 15,730 patients

The study compared two neuromuscular blockade reversal agents – sugammadex and neostigmine – in patients undergoing upper gastrointestinal endoscopy under general anesthesia. The research included 15,730 patients (7,865 per group) and found that sugammadex was associated with lower rates of extubation failure (3.88% versus 5.79%). Patients receiving sugammadex also had lower incidence of lung atelectasis (6.74% versus 7.76%) and unplanned ICU admission (8.27% versus 9.45%). The benefits of sugammadex were observed even in patients without chronic pulmonary disease. The number needed to treat to prevent one extubation failure was 52.