A 62-year-old female was scheduled for mechanical ventilation for respiratory failure. She was administered pancuronium as a muscle relaxant before intubation. Which of the following statement is accurate regarding pancuronium?
Tetanic tension is poor
Muscle fasciculations are observed at the onset
Autonomic ganglia are stimulated
Predominantly histamine release
Answer: a) Tetanic tension is poorNon-depolarizing muscle relaxants act as pharmacological antagonists at the skeletal muscle end-plate.It acts by competitive antagonism.These agents show post-tetanic potentiation, while the tetanic tension declines rapidly.Response to the tetanic stimulus is unsustained with non-depolarizing muscle relaxants, whereas it is sustained during phase I block with depolarizing muscle relaxants.
Muscle Relaxant