Pain-Reducing Effect of Self-Taming Suxamethonium

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Abstract
The effect was evaluated of a small "self-taming" dose of suxamethonium (0.1 mg/kg) on fasciculations and postoperative muscle pain following a normal intubating dose of suxamethonium (1.0 mg/kg). Forty outpatients undergoing bronchoscopy were randomly allocated to pretreatment with either sodium chloride or suxamethonium 0.1 mg/kg. The pretreatment dose was followed in 60 s by suxamethonium 1.0 mg/kg. Visual rating and mechanical registration of muscle fasciculations were done separately. Muscle pain was found in 74% and in 26% of the patients following pretreatment with sodium chloride and suxamethonium 0.1 mg/kg, respectively (P less than 0.01). No significant relationship was found between pain and muscle fasciculations. It is concluded that self-taming with suxamethonium has a marked pain-reducing effect; and this technique may be used as an alternative to pretreatment with a non-depolarizing relaxant.