Suxamethonium is a depolarising neuromuscular blocker that produces muscle paralysis even it produces initial muscle contractions. It acts just like acetylcholine by binding to the nicotinic acetylcholine receptors present at the neuromuscular junction but they are not hydrolysed by acetylcholinesterase enzyme at synaptic cleft.

Suxamethonium is also known as succinylcholine as it has succinyl moiety which forms ester linkage with two molecules of choline at both of its terminals. Because of this structural feature, it is not metabolised by Acetylcholinesterases at cholinergic nerve terminals.

On the other hand, when suxamethonium is administered into the body it is metabolized by plasma cholinesterases resulting in its short duration of action. It has fast onset of action such as 30 sec when given by IV route but shows its action up to 10 minutes.

#succinylcholine
#malignanthyperthermia
#depolarising

0:00 Introduction
2:47 Neuromuscular blockers
3:37 Depolarising neuromuscular blocker
5:56 Suxamethonium
9:25 Pharmacological actions
12:53 Side effects
14:25 Malignant hyperthermia
16:01 Clinical uses