PURPOSE To compare intubating conditions and postoperative myalgias in outpatients after intubation with propofol/alfentanil compared with propofol/alfentanil/succinylcholine with and without precurarisation with d-tubocurarine. METHODS 144 ASA I-II ambulatory patients for dental extraction under anesthesia were studied. Subjects received either 3 mg d-tubocurarine (Group II) or saline (Group...

Butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) is a plasma enzyme that catalyzes the hydrolysis of choline esters, including the muscle-relaxant succinylcholine and mivacurium. Patients who present sustained neuromuscular blockade after using succinylcholine usually carry BChE variants with reduced enzyme activity or an acquired BChE deficiency. We report here the molecular basis of the BCHE gene underlying the ...

Lethal hyperkalemic response to succinylcholine continues to be reported, but the molecular mechanisms for the hyperkalemia have not been completely elucidated. In the normal innervated mature muscle, the acetylcholine receptors (AChRs) are located only in the junctional area. In certain pathologic states, including upper or lower motor denervation, chemical denervation by muscle relaxants, dru...

succinylcholine is still recommended for some situations in open globe injuries. However its use is associated with an increase in intraocular pressure (IOP) which may be deleterious in open globe injuries. We investigated whether dexmedetomidine, an alpha-2 agonist, could attenuate this increase in IOP after succinylcholine and intubation. Forty patients with no pre-existing eye disease underg...