NEUROMUSCULAR BLOCKING DRUGS Flashcards
- Describe the physiologic effect of neuromuscular blocking drugs.
- Neuromuscular blocking drugs interrupt transmission of nerve impulses at the
neuromuscular junction and thereby produce paresis or paralysis of skeletal
muscles. (
- What are some clinical situations in which skeletal muscle relaxation is desired?
Skeletal muscle relaxation (i.e., paralysis) is desired most frequently to facilitate
intubation of the trachea and provide excellent surgical conditions. Other clinical
situations in which skeletal muscle relaxation is desired include to facilitamechanical ventilation of the lungs either intraoperatively, in the intensive care
unit, or during cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
- What are some methods by which skeletal muscle relaxation can be achieved
without the administration of neuromuscular blocking drugs?
- Skeletal muscle relaxation can be achieved without the administration of
neuromuscular blocking drugs by the administration of high concentrations
of volatile anesthetics, regional anesthesia, and by proper patient positioning on the
operating table.
- What analgesic effects do neuromuscular blocking drugs have?
Neuromuscular blocking drugs do not have any anesthetic or analgesic effects.
The potential therefore exists for the patient to be rendered paralyzed without adequate
anesthesia and subsequent unrecognized awareness during anesthesia
- What are some characteristics of neuromuscular blocking drugs that may influence
the choice of which drug is administered for clinical use for a given patient?
- Neuromuscular blocking drugs vary in their mechanism of action, speed of onset,
duration of action, route of elimination, and associated side effects. These
characteristics of a neuromuscular blocking drug may influence whether a specific
neuromuscular blocking drug is chosen for administration to a given patient
- What is the neuromuscular junction?
The neuromuscular junction is the location where the transmission of neural
impulses at the nerve terminal becomes translated into skeletal muscle contraction
at the motor endplate. The highly specialized neuromuscular junction consists of the
prejunctional motor nerve ending, a highly folded postjunctional skeletal muscle
membrane, and the synaptic cleft in betwe
- What events lead to the release of neurotransmitter at the neuromuscular junction?
What is the neurotransmitter that is released?
- A nerve impulse conducted down the motor nerve fiber, or axon, ends in the
prejunctional motor nerve ending. The resulting stimulation of the motor nerve
terminal causes an influx of calcium into the nerve terminal. The influx of calcium
results in a release of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine into the synaptic cleft. This
is why administration of calcium briefly improves neuromuscular function. The
nerve synthesizes and stores acetylcholine in vesicles in the motor nerve terminals,
which is available for release with the influx of calcium. Acetylcholine released into
the synaptic cleft binds to receptors in the postjunctional skeletal muscle membrane,
leading to skeletal muscle contraction
- What class of receptors is located on postjunctional membranes? What clinical
effect results from the stimulation of these receptors?
Nicotinic cholinergic receptors are located on the skeletal muscle membrane, or
postjunctional membrane. When acetylcholine binds to the nicotinic cholinergic
receptor, there is a change in the permeability of the skeletal muscle membrane to
sodium and potassium ions. The resultant movement of these ions down their
concentration gradients causes a decrease in the membrane potential of the skeletal
muscle cell from the resting membrane potential to the threshold potential. The
resting membrane potential is the electrical potential of the skeletal muscle cell at
rest, usually about 90 mV. The threshold potential is about 45 mV. When the
threshold potential is reached, an action potential becomes propagated over the
surfaces of skeletal muscle fibers. This leads to the contraction of these skeletal
muscle fiber
- How, and in what time course, is the action of acetylcholine terminated in the
synaptic cleft? What is the clinical relevance of this?
- Acetylcholine is hydrolyzed in the synaptic cleft by the enzyme
acetylcholinesterase, or true cholinesterase. This occurs rapidly, within 15 ms.
Clinically, this allows for the restoration of the membrane to its resting membrane
potential. The metabolism of acetylcholine also prevents sustained depolarization of
the skeletal muscle cells, and thus prevents tetany from occurring
- With respect to the neuromuscular junction, what are the three sites at which
nicotinic cholinergic receptors are located?
Nicotinic cholinergic receptors are located in three separate sites relative to the
neuromuscular junction and are referred to by their varied locations. Each of these
receptors also has a different functional capacity with regard to its role in
skeletal muscle contraction. The three types of nicotinic cholinergic receptors are
prejunctional, postjunctional, and extrajunctional. Prejunctional receptors are
located at the motor nerve terminal. Postjunctional receptors are located just
opposite the prejunctional receptors in the endplate and are the most important
receptors for the action of neuromuscular blocking drugs. Extrajunctional receptors
are immature in form and are located throughout the skeletal muscle membrane.
They are located in areas other than the endplate region of the muscle membrane as
well as at the motor endplate region.
- What is the role of prejunctional receptors?
- Prejunctional receptors are located on the motor nerve terminal and influence
the release and replenishment of acetylcholine from the nerve terminal.
- What is the role of extrajunctional receptors? What is their effect when stimulated?
- What is the structure of nicotinic cholinergic receptors? How is the junction of the
cholinergic receptor related to its structure?
- What is the binding site for an agonist at the nicotinic cholinergic receptor?
- How does the chemical structure of neuromuscular blocking drugs relate to their
pharmacologic action?
- What is the intubating dose of succinylcholine? What are its approximate time of
onset and duration of action when administered at this dose?
- What is the mechanism of action of succinylcholine?
- What is phase I neuromuscular blockade?
- What is phase II neuromuscular blockade? What is the mechanism by which it
occurs? When is phase II neuromuscular blockade most likely to occur clinically?
- What occurs clinically as a result of the opening of the nicotinic cholinergic receptor
ion channel that occurs with the administration of succinylcholine?
- How efficiently does plasma cholinesterase hydrolyze succinylcholine? Where is
plasma cholinesterase produced?
- How is the effect of succinylcholine at the cholinergic receptor terminated?
- How is the duration of action of succinylcholine influenced by plasma
cholinesterase?
- What are some drugs, chemicals, or clinical diseases that may affect the activity
of plasma cholinesterase?
- What is atypical plasma cholinesterase? What is its clinical significance?
- What is dibucaine? What is its clinical use?
- What is the normal dibucaine number? For heterozygous and homozygous
atypical cholinesterase patients, what is their associated dibucaine number,
duration of action of an intubating dose of succinylcholine, and incidence
in the population?
- Why is succinylcholine usually not administered to children under nonemergent
conditions?
- What are some adverse cardiac rhythms that may result from the administration
of succinylcholine? When and why are they likely to occur?
- How can the potential risk of adverse cardiac rhythms associated with the
administration of succinylcholine be minimized?
- What is the mechanism by which succinylcholine may induce a hyperkalemic
response with its administration? Which patients are especially at risk for this effect
of succinylcholine?
- Are renal failure patients at greater risk for a hyperkalemic response to the
administration of succinylcholine?
- What is the mechanism by which succinylcholine may induce postoperative
myalgias with its administration? Which muscles are typically affected? Which
patients are especially at risk for this effect of succinylcholine?
- How might the fasciculations associated with the administration of succinylcholine
be blunted?
- What effect does the administration of succinylcholine have on intraocular
pressure? What is the clinical significance of this?