title: Serum potassium after enflurane-succinylcholine induction of anesthesia in children receiving rectal midazolam as premedication.
abstract: The administration of succinylcholine causes an increase in serum potassium (K+) concentrations in healthy patients. The purpose of this study was to investigate serum K+ changes following intravenous succinylcholine in children and to evaluate the effect of rectal midazolam pretreatment on these changes. Forty healthy children between the ages of 2 and 7 yr, and who were to undergo oral surgical procedures under general anesthesia were randomly assigned to receive either placebo (saline) or 0.25, 0.35, or 0.45 mg/kg midazolam administered rectally as premedication 30 min before induction of inhalational anesthesia. Blood was drawn after induction with enflurane and at 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 min after administration of 1 mg/kg succinylcholine to determine changes in serum K+. Although the results indicate a significant increase in serum K+ after succinylcholine in all groups, midazolam pretreatment failed to cause any observable attenuation in the hyperkalemic response.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Dentistry, University of Stellenbosch, Tygerberg, South Africa.
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Roelofse
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Hartshorne
mesh_terms: D000285:Administration, Rectal; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000766:Anesthesia, Dental / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004737:Enflurane; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006947:Hyperkalemia / Q000139:chemically induced*; D008297:Male; D008874:Midazolam / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011188:Potassium / Q000097:blood*; D011229:Preanesthetic Medication; D013390:Succinylcholine / Q000009:adverse effects*
chemical_list: D004737:Enflurane; D013390:Succinylcholine; D008874:Midazolam; D011188:Potassium