Succinylcholine and contraindications

Q: Besides renal failure, name at least 5 conditions that may be risk factors for hyperkalemia with succinylcholine.

Answer: Conditions besides renal failure, having susceptibility to succinylcholine-induced hyperkalaemia are

• Burn
• Closed head injury
• CVAs
• Acidosis
• Guillain–Barré syndrome
• Drowning, and
• Massive trauma

#procedures

References:

1. Muñoz-Martínez T, Garrido-Santos I, Arévalo-Cerón R, Rojas-Viguera L, Cantera-Fernández T, Pérez-González R, Díaz-Garmendia E. Prevalencia de contraindicaciones a succinilcolina en unidades de cuidados intensivos [Contraindications to succinylcholine in the intensive care unit. A prevalence study]. Med Intensiva. 2015 Mar;39(2):90-6. Spanish. doi: 10.1016/j.medin.2014.07.002. Epub 2014 Sep 18. PMID: 25238994.

2. Blanié A, Ract C, Leblanc PE, Cheisson G, Huet O, Laplace C, Lopes T, Pottecher J, Duranteau J, Vigué B. The limits of succinylcholine for critically ill patients. Anesth Analg. 2012 Oct;115(4):873-9. doi: 10.1213/ANE.0b013e31825f829d. Epub 2012 Jul 4. PMID: 22763904.

3. Hager HH, Patel P, Burns B. Succinylcholine Chloride. 2025 Feb 15. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025 Jan–. PMID: 29763160.