Abstract
The effect of the administration of intravenous suxamethonium (1 · 5 mg/kg) on serum potassium was measured in 37 children, whose ages ranged from one month to 16 years. In all patients anaesthesia was induced with thiopentone, and maintained with nitrous oxide and oxygen. Serum potassium concentrations were estimated using venous blood taken immediately after induction and at one, two, three and four minutes after suxamethonium. No significant changes were found in the groups aged six to 10 years and 11 to 16 years. However, in the group aged five years and less, a small, but significant, mean increase of 0·23 mEq/l was found. Individual children in each group had significant increases in serum potassium, but this phenomenon was less common than has been reported in adults. Different premedications had no effect on serum potassium, and changes could not be related to the presence or degree of muscular fasciculations.
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