title: Prolonged paralysis and apnea after receiving a neuromuscular blocking agent: what nurses should know.
abstract: After receiving mivacurium, a short-acting neuromuscular blocking agent used for intubation before surgery, a patient experienced prolonged paralysis and prolonged apnea that required ventilator support. Although this complication is rare, all critical care nurses should be aware of it so they can be competent in managing and providing holistic and comprehensive nursing care to the patient and the patient's family. Although this complication has been documented in the anesthesia literature, it has received little mention in critical care nursing journals.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesia at Kaiser Permanente Medical Center, San Jose, California, USA.
authors.forename: Kathryn S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Jaramillo
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Scruth
authors.forename: Eugene
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cheng
mesh_terms: D000671:Amputation, Surgical; D001049:Apnea / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000451:nursing*; D002091:Butyrylcholinesterase / Q000172:deficiency; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007546:Isoquinolines / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008875:Middle Aged; D000077590:Mivacurium; D009466:Neuromuscular Blocking Agents / Q000009:adverse effects*; D010243:Paralysis / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000451:nursing*
chemical_list: D007546:Isoquinolines; D009466:Neuromuscular Blocking Agents; D000077590:Mivacurium; D002091:Butyrylcholinesterase