The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of pre-treatment with lidocaine on the onset of vecuronium-induced neuromuscular block in a randomized, double-blinded trial. Thirty-one patients were randomly allocated to one of two groups according to the agents administrated 3 min prior to vecuronium injection; Group C, normal saline 0.75 ml.kg-1 and Group L, 2% lidocaine 1.5 mg.kg-1. Anesthesia was induced with propofol 1.5 mg.kg-1 followed by continuous infusion at 8 mg.kg-1.hr-1. Neuromuscular blockade was evaluated with accelerometry, which measured a train-of-four (TOF) pattern of abductor policies muscle. The disappearance of the first response in TOF was regarded as onset of neuromuscular block. Changes in systolic and diastolic arterial pressure (SBP, DBP) and heart rate (HR) were measured before and after tracheal intubation. Times to onset of neuromuscular blockade induced by vecuronium in Group L and Group C were 115 +/- 20 sec and 174 +/- 45 sec, respectively. After tracheal intubation, SBP, DBP and HR in both groups increased compared with those before tracheal intubation, but the changes were not significant. Changes in SBP, DBP and HR did not differ between Group L and Group C. The mechanisms by which lidocaine reduced the time to onset of neuromuscular block caused by vecuronium could not be clarified from our study, but this may be related to pre- and post-junctional effects of lidocaine at neuromuscular junction. In conclusion, administration of lidocaine prior to tracheal intubation reduces the time to onset of neuromuscular block caused by vecuronium, but does not attenuate changes in blood pressure and heart rate caused by tracheal intubation.