What it means
A drug that stops nerve signals reaching the muscles at the place where they meet, causing paralysis of skeletal muscles, including the breathing muscles. It is used to place a breathing tube, during surgery and for some clients on a ventilator. Examples are succinylcholine, rocuronium, vecuronium and cisatracurium. These drugs give no sedation or pain relief: a client given one alone is awake and aware but cannot move.
For the nurse
ISMP lists these as high-alert medications. Give them only to a client whose breathing is supported by a ventilator, always with sedation and pain relief, and store them apart from other drugs with clear warning labels. Succinylcholine can trigger malignant hyperthermia in people at risk.
At a glance
| Drug class | neuromuscular blocking agent |
|---|---|
| Brand names | Anectine, Quelicin (succinylcholine) |
| Spanish | bloqueante neuromuscular |
| Also written | neuromuscular blocking agents, neuromuscular blocker, neuromuscular blockers |
Related terms
endotracheal intubation
Putting a breathing tube through the mouth or nose into the windpipe (trachea).
anesthesia
Loss of feeling or sensation, often brought on by drugs so that surgery or a procedure can be done without pain.
mechanical ventilation
Breathing support from a machine, a ventilator, that pushes air into the lungs through a tube or a mask.
skeletal muscle
Muscle attached to bones that a person moves by choice, such as the muscles of the arms and legs.