Suxamethonium

Suxamethonium chloride

Clinical data
Pronunciation	/ˌsʌksᵻnᵻlˈkoʊlin/
Trade names	Quelicin, Anectine
AHFS/Drugs.com	Monograph
Pregnancy category	AU: A US: C (Risk not ruled out)
Routes of administration	intravenous, intramuscular
ATC code	M03AB01 (WHO)
Legal status
Legal status	AU: S4 (Prescription only) UK: POM (Prescription only) US: ℞-only
Pharmacokinetic data
Bioavailability	NA
Metabolism	By pseudocholinesterase, to succinylmonocholine and choline
Onset of action	30-60 sec (IV), 2-3 min (IM)
Duration of action	< 10 min (IV), 10-30 min (IM)
Excretion	Kidney (10%)
Identifiers
IUPAC name 2,2'-[(1,4-dioxobutane-1,4-diyl)bis(oxy)]bis (N,N,N-trimethylethanaminium)
CAS Number	306-40-1 Y
PubChem CID	22475
IUPHAR/BPS	4004
DrugBank	DB00202 N
ChemSpider	21080 Y
UNII	J2R869A8YF
KEGG	D00766 Y
ChEBI	CHEBI:61219 Y
ChEMBL	CHEMBL983 Y
Chemical and physical data
Formula	C14H30N2O4
Molar mass	290.399 g/mol
3D model (Jmol)	Interactive image
SMILES [Cl-].[Cl-].O=C(OCC[N+](C)(C)C)CCC(=O)OCC[N+](C)(C)C
InChI InChI=1S/C14H30N2O4.2ClH/c1-15(2,3)9-11-19-13(17)7-8-14(18)20-12-10-16(4,5)6;;/h7-12H2,1-6H3;2*1H/q+2;;/p-2 Y Key:YOEWQQVKRJEPAE-UHFFFAOYSA-L Y
NY (what is this?)

Suxamethonium chloride, also known as suxamethonium or succinylcholine, is a medication used to cause short-term paralysis as part of general anesthesia. This is done to help with tracheal intubation or electroconvulsive therapy. It is given either by injection into a vein or muscle. When used in a vein onset of action is generally within one minute and effects last for up to 10 minutes.

Common side effects include low blood pressure, increased saliva production, muscle pain, and rash. Serious side effects include malignant hyperthermia and allergic reactions. It is not recommended in people who are at risk of high blood potassium or a history of myopathy. Use during pregnancy appears to be safe for the baby. Suxamethonium is in the neuromuscular blocker family of medications and is of the depolarizing type. It works by blocking the action of acetylcholine on skeletal muscles.

Suxamethonium was described as early as 1906 and came into medical use in 1951. It is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines, the most effective and safe medicines needed in a health system. Suxamethonium is available as a generic medication. The wholesale cost in the developing world is about 0.45 to 1.31 USD a dose. It may colloquially be referred to as "sux".