JOURNAL HOME CME HOME THIS MONTH PAST ISSUES ETOC COLLECTIONS
AUTHORS REVIEWERS EDITORIAL BOARD FEEDBACK RSS HELP
A&A International Anesthesia Research Society
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     

Anesth Analg 1986; 65:1329-1332
© 1986 International Anesthesia Research Society
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a colleague
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Hannallah, R. S.
Right arrow Articles by Epstein, B. S.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Hannallah, R. S.
Right arrow Articles by Epstein, B. S.

Changes in Heart Rate and Rhythm after Intramuscular Succinylcholine with or without Atropine in Anesthetized Children

Raafat S. Hannallah, MD, Tae H. Oh, MD, Willis A. McGill, MD, and Burton S. Epstein, MD

Received from the Departments of Anesthesiology and Child Health and Development, Children's Hospital National Medical Center and George Washington University, Washington, D.C. Dr. Oh is currently at Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut.

Abstract

The effects of intramuscular injections of Succinylcholine with or without atropine on heart rate and rhythm were studied in 50 unpremedicated children 6–18 months of age. All had anesthesia induced with N2O-O2 and halothane 2% by face mask. Sixty seconds later, one of four study drugs or drug combinations was injected into the deltoid muscle of patients in groups 1–4. Following injection, halothane concentration was reduced to 1%, and ventilation was controlled. Patients given atropine only (0.02 mg/kg), succinylcholine only (4 mg/kg), or a combination of both (4 mg/kg Succinylcholine plus 0.02 mg/kg atropine) showed transient increases in heart rate to 106 ± 7.5%, 113 ± 11.8%, and 109 ± 20.1% (mean ± so) of control, followed by a decrease to 78 ± 6.7%, 79 ± 9.4%, and 80 ± 10.5%, respectively, in 2–3 min after injection. Patients given a combination of Succinylcholine (4 mg/kg) plus a higher dose of atropine (0.03 mg/kg) also had a transient increase in heart rate to 107 ± 7.5%, followed by a decrease to 82 ± 11.8% 2 min after injection. However, this group differed from the other three groups in presenting a second, prolonged increase in heart rate to 115 ± 9.0% of preinjection levels. Patients in group 5 (controls) received no injections. Their heart rate decreased to 76 ± 10.78% of preinduction level within 90 sec of induction, and remained unchanged thereafter. We conclude that Succinylcholine (4 mg/kg) can be used intramuscularly with or without atropine (0.02 mg/kg) in lightly anesthetized young children without producing severe bradycardia. If an increase in heart rate is desired, a higher dose of atropine (0.03 mg/kg) is recommended.

Key Words: ANESTHESIA—pediatric. • NEUROMUS-CULAR BLOCKING AGENTS, SUCCINYLCHOLINE—intramuscular.






Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins Anesthesia & Analgesia® is published for the International Anesthesia Research Society® by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins with the assistance of Stanford University Libraries' HighWire Press®. Copyright 2006 by the International Anesthesia Research Society. Online ISSN: 1526-7598   Print ISSN: 0003-2999 HighWire Press
Copyright © 1986 by the International Anesthesia Research Society.