Korean J Anesthesiol.  1997 Nov;33(5):967-069. 10.4097/kjae.1997.33.5.967.

Cardiac Asystole Following a Single Dose of Succinylcholine: A case report

• Lim HK
• Lee KH
• Kwon HU
• Lim HK

• KMID: 2154496
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4097/kjae.1997.33.5.967

Abstract

A 28-yr-old woman, weighing 61 kg with bleeding myoma of uterus was scheduled for total abdominal hysterectomy. There was no history of cardiac arrhythmia or syncope. She was not premedicated. The heart rate was 115 beats/min and arterial pressure was 155/95 mmHg, immediately before the induction of anesthesia. Under the preoxygenation, anesthesia was induced with IV injection of thiopental sodium 250 mg followed by succinylcholine 75 mg. About 20 seconds after the succinylcholine bolus, the ECG showed an abrupt change from sinus rhythm to asystole without any stimulus including laryngoscopy. After a precordial thump and atropine 0.5 mg IV, tracheal intubation and ventilation with 100% O2 were quickly accomplished. Normal sinus rhythm with heart rate of 87 beats/min returned during laryngoscopy and intubation. The interval from the sinus arrest to the reestablishment of normal sinus rhythm was only 15 seconds. Surgery proceeded uneventfully and the patient recovered without any complication.

Keyword

Heart, asystole; Neuromuscular relaxants, succinylcholine

MeSH Terms

Anesthesia
Arrhythmias, Cardiac
Arterial Pressure
Atropine
Electrocardiography
Female
Heart Arrest*
Heart Rate
Hemorrhage
Humans
Hysterectomy
Intubation
Laryngoscopy
Myoma
Succinylcholine*
Syncope
Thiopental
Uterus
Ventilation
Atropine
Succinylcholine
Thiopental