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Succinylcholine
| Succinylcholine |
| Succinylcholine is a short--acting depolarizing muscle relaxant that is used for intubation. Because the duration of action is only five minutes, a patient who cannot be successfully intubated can be ventilated by mask for a short time until spontaneous respiration resumes. The side effects of succinylcholine include bradycardia, especially in children, and hyperkalemia in patients with bums, paraplegia, quadriplegia, and massive trauma. Succinylcholine, when combined with a volatile agent, is also implicated in triggering malignant hyperthermia (MH) in susceptible individuals. We therefore avoid it in patients with a family history of MH or those at risk (muscular dystrophy, etc.). Some anesthesiologists avoid succinylcholine in children. Because it is a depolarizing agent and causes visible muscle fasciculations, it has been implicated in causing postoperative muscle pain. This can be reduced by pretreatment with a small dose of a nondepolarizing agent. |
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