Suxamethonium chloride 100mg/2ml solution for injection pre-filled syringes
Requires a prescription from a doctor or prescriber
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Suspected adverse reactions reported for Suxamethonium
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Data from the MHRA Yellow Card scheme. A reported reaction does not necessarily mean the medicine caused it. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
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Suspected adverse reactions reported for Suxamethonium
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3 branded products available
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Suxamethonium chloride 100mg/2ml solution for injection pre-filled syringes
Martindale Pharmaceuticals Ltd
Suxamethonium chloride 100mg/2ml solution for injection pre-filled syringes
Therapeutically similar medicines
Similarity is based on WHO Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) classification and on a factual NHS dm+d therapeutic-grouping code prefix. Source data: NHS dm+d via TRUD (OGL v3.0), WHO ATC/DDD Index.
NHS prescribing volume and spending trends
Guidelines from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence
NICE clinical guidance(1)
Source: National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
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Codes for healthcare professionals and prescribing systems
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NHS UK identifiers
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SNOMED CT and dm+d codes from NHS TRUD (Technology Reference data Update Distribution), licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. BNF code shown is the factual mapping value distributed by NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) in the dm+d supplementary file under OGL v3.0; it is not affiliated with, nor licensed from, the publishers of the British National Formulary. ATC codes from the WHO Collaborating Centre for Drug Statistics Methodology (whocc.no).
Active and completed clinical studies from ClinicalTrials.gov
Source: ClinicalTrials.gov, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM), National Institutes of Health (NIH). Data accessed via ClinicalTrials.gov API v2. Trial information is provided for research purposes and does not constitute medical advice.
Academic studies and reviews for this medicine's active substance
Showing the 50 most relevant studies.
Reviews & meta-analyses: 8 · Randomised trials: 3 · 1954–2026
Showing the 50 most relevant studies, sorted by most relevant.
Atef A. Hassan, Mohamed A. Khalafallah, Noha Rami Ismail, et al.
BMC Anesthesiology, 2025
- Succinylcholine
- Neuromuscular Depolarizing Agents
- Neuromuscular Nondepolarizing Agents
Vanlinthout LE, Driessen JJ, Stolker RJ, et al.
2025
- Neuromuscular Blocking Agents
- Intubation, Intratracheal
BackgroundThis meta-analysis is the first to compare tracheal intubation conditions and haemodynamic responses produced by various types and doses of neuromuscular blocking agents (NMBAs) in paediatric anaesthesia while also exploring factors associated with variability in outcomes.MethodsRandomised controlled and controlled clinical trials involving healthy paediatric participants (0-12 yr) were included. Trials compared intubation conditions using various NMBA interventions or NMBA-free settings under direct laryngoscopy. Outcomes included odds ratios (ORs) for excellent and acceptable intubation conditions, and mean differences for MAP and HR. Bayesian network, pairwise, and cumulative meta-analyses, along with meta-regression, assessed NMBA effectiveness and covariate effects.ResultsData from 105 trials (8008 participants) were analysed. Suxamethonium ≥1.50 mg kg-1 and rocuronium ≥0.90 mg kg-1 provided similar intubation conditions, though not consistently within 60 s. Other NMBAs were, on average, slower and less effective. Opioids decreased MAP and HR but did not improve intubation conditions when combined with suxamethonium ≥1.00 mg kg-1 or rocuronium ≥0.90 mg kg-1. Non depolarising NMBAs enhanced excellent (OR: 2.97 [1.82-5.10]) and acceptable intubation conditions (OR: 2.29 [1.14-4.39]) more in younger children (1.64 [1.08-2.20] yr) than in older ones (5.53 [4.04-7.01] yr). Intubation without NMBAs was most difficult in neonates and infants, with conditions improving until about age 4 yr. Beyond this, the difference in intubation quality between groups with and without NMBAs increased with age, indicating a greater benefit of using NMBAs in older children. Values are mean (95% credible interval).ConclusionsWe present a meta-analytical approach to synthesise and consolidate evidence from previous research and demonstrate how neuromuscular blocking agent type and dose, intubation timing, age, and induction drugs affect the safety and efficacy of paediatric airway management. Low-to-moderate confidence can be assigned to the recommendations from this meta-analysis.Systematic review protocolPROSPERO (CRD42018097146).
Abstract licence: CC BY
S. Ghanta, M. Abdel-latif, K. Lui, et al.
Pediatrics, 2007
R. Cooper, R. Mirakhur, R. Clarke, et al.
British journal of anaesthesia, 1992
Jan Bláha, P. Nosková, K. Hlinecká, et al.
Obstetric Anesthesia Digest, 2020
Saswati Das, Mousumi Das, Lingaraj Sahu, et al.
Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research, 2021
K. McCourt, L. Salmela, R. Mirakhur, et al.
Anaesthesia, 1998
L. Hall, N. Woolf, J. Bradley, et al.
British Medical Journal, 1966
H. Churchill-Davidson
British Medical Journal, 1954
S. Yentis
Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, 1990
Sources: aggregated from Europe PMC (EMBL-EBI), OpenAlex, Crossref, PubMed and other open scholarly databases. Retracted articles are excluded. Study information is provided for research purposes and does not constitute medical advice.
Pharmacology and chemical data from DrugBank
Key facts
Drug status
Approved
Major interactions
1 found
Half-life
Not available
Mechanism
Succinylcholine is a depolarizing neuromuscular blocker, meaning it causes a pro…
Food interactions
None known
Human targets
3 targets
Data: DrugBank · CC BY-NC 4.0
Pharmacokinetics at a glance
Half-life
47 seconds
[A233225]
Volume of distribution
1 mg/k
Metabolism
[L32828]…
Elimination
10%
[L32828]
Clearance
1 mg/k
Pharmacokinetic data: DrugBank · CC BY-NC 4.0
[L9004]
Known interactions with other medications. Always consult a healthcare professional.
Showing 50 of 1180 interactions
[L9004]
Depending on the extent of the overdose, the characteristic depolarizing (i.e.
Phase I) neuromuscular blockade may switch to resemble more closely a non-depolarizing (i.e. Phase II) neuromuscular blockade.
[L9004]
This occurs primarily when succinylcholine is given over a prolonged period of time or with particularly large doses, and may result in significant respiratory muscle paralysis or weakness.
Succinylcholine has no effect on consciousness or pain threshold, and must therefore be used in conjunction with adequate anesthesia.[L9004] There have been rare reports of the development of acute rhabdomyolysis with hyperkalemia - resulting in ventricular dysrhythmias, cardiac arrest, and death - after the intravenous administration of succinylcholine to apparently healthy pediatric patients who were subsequently found to have undiagnosed skeletal myopathy (most frequently Duchenne's muscular dystrophy).[L9004] Infants or children experiencing seemingly idiopathic cardiac arrest soon after the administration of succinylcholine should therefore be treated immediately for hyperkalemia. Given that patients may not present with any apparent risk factors, the use of succinylcholine in pediatric patients should be restricted to emergency intubation or other situations in which a suitable alternative is unavailable.[L9004]
How the body processes this drug — absorption, distribution, metabolism, and elimination
[A233225]
[A233235]
[L32828]
[L32828]
[A233220]
Proteins and enzymes this drug interacts with in the body
PMID:20881005 PMID:31488329 PMID:8663494 PMID:8906617 PMID:9203638
CHRNB4 forms heteropentameric neuronal acetylcholine receptors with CHRNA2, CHRNA3 and CHRNA4, as well as CHRNA5 and CHRNB3 as accesory subunits .
PMID:11118490 PMID:20881005 PMID:8663494
CHRNA3:CHRNB4 being predominant in neurons of the autonomic ganglia, it is known as ganglionic nicotinic receptor .
PMID:31488329
CHRNA3:CHRNB4 or CHRNA3:CHRNA5:CHRNB4 play also an important role in the habenulo-interpeduncular tract, modulating the mesolimbic dopamine system and affecting reward circuits and addiction (By similarity). Hypothalamic CHRNA3:CHRNB4 nAChR activation by nicotine leads to activation of POMC neurons and a decrease in food intake (By similarity)
Enzymes involved in drug metabolism — important for understanding drug interactions
ATC M03AB01
Chemical identifiers
CAS, UNII, InChI Key and database cross-references
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Chemical identifiers
CAS, UNII, InChI Key and database cross-references
Linked compound data from DrugBank Open Data (CC BY-NC 4.0)
Succinylcholine
Matched from: Suxamethonium
Additional database identifiers
Drugs Product Database (DPD)
8833
ChemSpider
5123
BindingDB
50061568
PDB
SCK
Guide to Pharmacology
4004
ZINC
ZINC000001530820
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:13800
GenAtlas
CHRNA10
GeneCards
CHRNA10
GenBank Gene Database
AJ278118
GenBank Protein Database
12053839
Guide to Pharmacology
470
UniProt Accession
ACH10_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:1956
GenAtlas
CHRNA2
GeneCards
CHRNA2
GenBank Gene Database
U62431
GenBank Protein Database
1458110
Guide to Pharmacology
463
UniProt Accession
ACHA2_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:1957
GeneCards
CHRNA3
GenBank Gene Database
M86383
GenBank Protein Database
177898
Guide to Pharmacology
464
UniProt Accession
ACHA3_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:1958
GenAtlas
CHRNA4
GeneCards
CHRNA4
GenBank Gene Database
L35901
GenBank Protein Database
755648
Guide to Pharmacology
465
UniProt Accession
ACHA4_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:1959
GeneCards
CHRNA5
GenBank Gene Database
M83712
GenBank Protein Database
177926
UniProt Accession
ACHA5_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:15963
GeneCards
CHRNA6
GenBank Gene Database
U62435
GenBank Protein Database
1458118
Guide to Pharmacology
467
UniProt Accession
ACHA6_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:1960
GenAtlas
CHRNA7
GeneCards
CHRNA7
GenBank Gene Database
X70297
GenBank Protein Database
496607
Guide to Pharmacology
468
UniProt Accession
ACHA7_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:14079
GenAtlas
CHRNA9
GeneCards
CHRNA9
GenBank Gene Database
AJ243342
GenBank Protein Database
6688136
Guide to Pharmacology
469
UniProt Accession
ACHA9_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:1962
GenAtlas
CHRNB2
GeneCards
CHRNB2
GenBank Gene Database
X53179
GenBank Protein Database
32017
UniProt Accession
ACHB2_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:1963
GeneCards
CHRNB3
GenBank Gene Database
U62438
GenBank Protein Database
1458124
UniProt Accession
ACHB3_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:1964
GeneCards
CHRNB4
GenBank Gene Database
U62439
GenBank Protein Database
1458126
UniProt Accession
ACHB4_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:1951
GenAtlas
CHRM2
GeneCards
CHRM2
GenBank Gene Database
M16404
GenBank Protein Database
177990
Guide to Pharmacology
14
UniProt Accession
ACM2_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:1952
GenAtlas
CHRM3
GeneCards
CHRM3
GenBank Gene Database
X15266
GenBank Protein Database
32324
Guide to Pharmacology
15
UniProt Accession
ACM3_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:983
GenAtlas
BCHE
GeneCards
BCHE
GenBank Gene Database
M32391
GenBank Protein Database
1311630
Guide to Pharmacology
2471
UniProt Accession
CHLE_HUMAN
DrugBank citations
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Structured knowledge from the free knowledge base
ATC classifications (Wikidata)
Linked open data from Wikidata (Q424378), a free and open knowledge base operated by the Wikimedia Foundation. Data is available under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Public Domain Dedication. WHO INN from the World Health Organization.