EFFECTIVENESS AND SEQUELAE OF VERY LOW-DOSE SUXAMETHONIUM FOR NASAL INTUBATION

We have studied the effectiveness and sequelae of low-dose suxamethonium in 60 day-case oral surgery patients requiring nasal intubation. Anaesthesia was induced with propofol and alfentanil; 60 patients were allocated randomly to three groups of 20 patients and received no suxamethonium, suxamethonium 0.25 mg kg(-1) or 0.5 mg kg(-1). All patients received i.v. fentanyl and diclofenac 100 mg rectally for analgesia. Good intubating conditions were produced in all 20 patients receiving suxamethonium 0.25 mg kg(-1), in 19 patients receiving suxamethonium 0.5 mg kg(-1) and in 11 patients not receiving a neuromuscular blocker. The incidence of postoperative myalgia after suxamethonium 0.25 mg kg(-1) (20%) did not differ significantly from the incidence after propofol and alfentanil alone (28%).