Menu Close

What are neuromuscular blockers used for?

What are neuromuscular blockers used for?

Neuromuscular blocking agents are used clinically to facilitate endotracheal intubation and to provide skeletal muscle relaxation during surgery.

What are the two types of neuromuscular blockers?

Neuromuscular blocking agents (NMBAs) come in two forms: depolarizing neuromuscular blocking agents (e.g., succinylcholine) and nondepolarizing neuromuscular blocking agents (e.g., rocuronium, vecuronium, atracurium, cisatracurium, mivacurium).

What is a neuromuscular drug?

Drugs that interrupt transmission of nerve impulses at the skeletal neuromuscular junction. They can be of two types, competitive, stabilizing blockers (NEUROMUSCULAR NONDEPOLARIZING AGENTS) or noncompetitive, depolarizing agents (NEUROMUSCULAR DEPOLARIZING AGENTS).

Is propofol a neuromuscular blocker?

Propofol is a widely used drug in anesthesia practice, and its pharmacological characteristics are well known. However, propofol is not known for neuromuscular effects.

How are neuromuscular blockers given?

The duration of action of neuromuscular blocking agents can be altered by hypothermia and acid-base and electrolyte disturbances, conditions commonly seen in critically ill patients. Neuromuscular blockers (NMBs) can be given by intermittent intravenous (IV) bolus or a constant rate infusion (CRI).

What are neuromuscular blocking agents 5?

Options include succinylcholine rocuronium, vecuronium, mivacurium, atracurium and cisatracurium. The choice among these NMBA depends on availability, cost and patient parameters that affect drug metabolism. Intraoperative relaxation can be maintained as necessary with additional dose of nondepolarizing NMBA.

What are examples of paralytic drugs?

Most Commonly Used Paralytic Drugs

  • Succinylcholine.
  • Rocuronium.
  • Vecuronium.
  • Mivacurium.
  • Atracurium.
  • Cisatracurium.

What are the indications for neuromuscular blockers?

The pharmacology of NMBAs is well understood, but the use of these agents can be controversial. NMBAs are common in surgical situations and rapid sequence intubation, but other indications, such as acute respiratory distress syndrome, therapeutic hypothermia, and elevated intracranial pressure, are somewhat divisive.

How does a neuromuscular blocker drug work?

Neuromuscular blockers paralyze the muscles by acting at neuromuscular junctions. In order to understand how these medications work, a brief explanation of the anatomy of this structure is helpful. A signal from the brain or spinal cord travels down a nerve to its ending called the nerve terminal of an axon .

What are neuromuscular blocking agents?

neuromuscular blocking agent. Any of a class of drugs that causes muscle paralysis by blocking the transmission of nerve stimuli to muscles. They are esp. useful as an adjunct to anesthesia to induce skeletal muscle relaxation, to facilitate the management of patients undergoing mechanical ventilation, and to facilitate tracheal intubation.

What is a steroidal neuromuscular blocking agent?

Steroidal neuromuscular blocking agents (NMBAs), such as rocuronium, are widely used in clinical anesthesia and emergency medicine to facilitate endotracheal intubation and artificial ventilation and to allow surgical access to body cavities.

What does neuromuscular Nondepolarizing agents mean?

A neuromuscular non-depolarizing agent is a form of neuromuscular blocker that does not depolarize the motor end plate. The quaternary ammonium muscle relaxants belong to this class. Quaternary ammonium muscle relaxants are quaternary ammonium salts used as drugs for muscle relaxation, most commonly in anesthesia.