Prolonged suxamethonium-induced neuromuscular blockade associated with organophosphate poisoning.
We report a patient, exposed to Malathion during agricultural work, who suffered a prolonged apnoea after the administration of suxamethonium. He had a normal phenotype (E1u E1u), but an extremely low plasma cholinesterase activity. The diagnosis was made by assaying cholinesterase activity and analysing the enzymic components by electrophoresis on polyacrylamide gel slabs. The results indicated that the apnoea was a result of the low activity of plasma cholinesterase induced by Malathion.
Department of Anaesthesia and Reanimation, Sta María del Rosell, Cartagena, Spain.
F
F
Pérez Guillermo
C M
CM
Martinez Pretel
F
F
Tarín Royo
M J
MJ
Peña Macias
R
R
Alvarez Ossorio
J A
JA
Alvarez Gómez
C J
CJ
Vidal
D000328:Adult; D001049:Apnea / Q000209:etiology*; D002802:Cholinesterases / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D008294:Malathion / Q000506:poisoning*; D008297:Male; D013390:Succinylcholine / Q000009:adverse effects*; D013997:Time Factors
D002802:Cholinesterases; D013390:Succinylcholine; D008294:Malathion