Muscle Pains After Intramuscular Suxamethonium Chloride

Abstract

The use of suxamethonium chloride by intramuscular injection as a short acting muscle relaxant for endotracheal intubation is described. The incidence and severity of postoperative muscle pains in this group of 94 patients is compared with the results of another group (of 112 patients) in which the drug was given intravenously. The incidence of pains was similar in the two groups (26.6 and 28.6 per cent respectively). The percentage of severe pains was reduced from 18.7 in the intravenous series, to 12.8 in the intramuscular; this reduction was not statistically significant.

Comparison of Alfentanil With Suxamethonium in Facilitating Nasotracheal Intubation in Day-Case Anaesthesia

“…Although a greater percentage of women than men complained of muscle pains, the difference was not statistically significant. A difference between the sexes has been described by other authors [2]. The proportion of patients who received suxamethonium and developed moderate or severe pains was 42 % in our study.…”

“…Myalgia most often affects the neck, shoulder girdle and abdomen, appearing during the first and second days after surgery. It occurs more often in ambulant patients, with women affected more than men [2]. It is rare in children [3] and the elderly [4].…”

Postoperative ‘minor’ complications

“…Gender has not previously been shown to influence the incidence of postoperative backache [9,18,19] or sore throat [8]. Interestingly, we did not find a gender difference for postoperative muscle pains [6], despite more women receiving suxamethonium.…”

“…Differences in postoperative outcome between men and women have also been reported in the medical literature [6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13]. Conclusions have been based on small studies or from specific population groups.…”

Suxamethonium Modified by Tetrahydroaminacrine

“…These frequencies should be compared with those of other series using suxamethonium alone. Incidences of pains ranging from 28 to 49 per cent have been reported (Cooke et al, 1963;Bryson and Ormston, 1962;Burtles and Tunstall, 1961;Foster, 1960;Leatherdale et al, 1959). Cooke and his associates regarded twothirds of the pains as being severe.…”