Succinylcholine Flashcards
What is Succinylcholine and its use in anesthesia?
Succinylcholine, or suxamethonium, is a depolarizing neuromuscular blocking agent used for facilitating intubation and providing muscle relaxation during surgery. It’s valued for its rapid onset and short duration.
Describe the onset and duration of Succinylcholine’s action.
It has a rapid onset (30-60 seconds) and a short duration of action (5-10 minutes), allowing for quick muscle relaxation and subsequent return of spontaneous ventilation and muscle function.
How does Succinylcholine facilitate endotracheal intubation?
By providing rapid, profound muscle relaxation, Succinylcholine makes it easier to secure the patient’s airway with minimal complications, essential in general anesthesia and emergency airway management.
Discuss the role of Succinylcholine in surgical muscle relaxation.
It is used to achieve adequate muscle relaxation during certain surgical procedures to prevent involuntary muscle movement, though not typically used for prolonged surgeries due to its short duration.
What are the limitations and side effects of Succinylcholine?
Potential side effects include hyperkalemia, malignant hyperthermia, and risk of anaphylaxis, leading to the use of non-depolarizing neuromuscular blocking agents with fewer side effects for prolonged surgeries.
Detail Succinylcholine’s mechanism of action.
Succinylcholine acts as an agonist at nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, causing depolarization and sustained desensitization, leading to flaccid muscle paralysis until it is hydrolyzed by plasma cholinesterase.
What makes Succinylcholine unique among neuromuscular blocking agents?
It is the only depolarizing neuromuscular blocking agent in clinical use, characterized by its unique structure, rapid hydrolysis by plasma cholinesterase, and its mechanism causing muscle paralysis.
How is Succinylcholine metabolized and what is its recovery process?
Metabolized by plasma cholinesterase, succinylcholine’s effects diminish as it is broken down, allowing neuromuscular transmission to be restored and muscle function to return.
What are the cardiovascular responses to Succinylcholine?
Cardiovascular responses can be unpredictable, including potential changes in intravascular, intraocular, and intracranial pressure.
Discuss the adverse effects associated with Succinylcholine.
Adverse effects may include fasciculations, myalgias, hyperkalemia, myoglobinuria, and it is a known triggering agent of malignant hyperthermia.
