• Neuromuscular blockade:
    • Induction:
      • Adults: IV 0.3-1.1mg/kg/dose *1 OR IM 3-4mg/kg/dose *1.
      • Children: IV 1-2mg/kg/dose *1 OR IM 2.5-4mg/kg/dose *1
      • Consider premed with atropine
    • Maintenance:
      • Adults: IV 0.04-0.07mg/kg/dose every 5-10min PRN OR5-10 mg/min
      • Children: IV 0.3-0.6mg/kg/dose every 5-10min PRN
  • Rapid sequence intubation (Off-label):
    • IV 1-2mg/kg/dose *1
    • Consider premed with atropine

Injection: 50mg/mL

  • Drug may be diluted to 1mg/mL or 2mg/mL in 5% Dextrose or 0.9% Sodium Chloride
  • To avoid distress to patient, do not administer drug before unconsciousness has been induced
  • Atropine is used prior to reduce occurrence of bradyarrhythmias
  • Total dose for IM administration should not exceed 150mg
  • IM effect can be seen in 2-3 minutes
  • IM injections should be made deeply, preferably high into deltoid muscle

Neuromuscular blocker

It depolarizes motor endplate causing sustained flaccid skeletal muscle paralysis

  • Postop myalgia
  • Muscle fasciculation
  • Jaw rigidity
  • Elevated IOP
  • Hypertension
  • Hypotension
  • Bradycardia
  • Tachycardia
  • Sialorrhea
  • Rash
  • Hypersensitivity to components/class
  • Malignant hyperthermia history
  • Myopathy history
  • Major acute trauma
  • Major acute burn
  • Acute extensive muscular denervation
  • Acute upper motor neuron injury
  • Increased IOP

WARNING

Acute rhabdomyolysis with hyperkalemia followed by ventricular dysrhythmias, cardiac arrest and death has occurred after administration of succinylcholine to apparently healthy pediatric patients who were subsequently found to have undiagnosed skeletal muscle myopathy.

None restricted

                          Drug Status

Availability Prescription only
Pregnancy Category C; Weigh risk vs benefit
Breastfeeding Weigh risk vs benefit
Schedule Not controlled
BRAND NAME STRENGTH FORMULATION PACK SIZE MANUFACTURER DISTRIBUTOR
Sucol 50mg/mL Injection 10’s Neon Labs Ripple Pharma
Suxamed 50mg/mL Injection 1’s Medisel Kenya Medisel Kenya
Suxamethonium 100mg/2mL Injection 1’s Galaxy Pharma Galaxy Pharma
Suxamethonium Chloride 100mg/2mL Injection 10’s Macarthys Labs Laborex Kenya
Suxamethonium Chloride 50mg/mL Injection 5’s Rotexmedica GMBH Nairobi Pharma
Suxamethonium Fresenius 100mg/2mL Injection 10’s Fresenius Kabi Surgipharm Ltd