• Karim Nasseri, Mehdi Tayebi Arastheh, and Shoaleh Shami.
• Department of Anesthesia, Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran. nasseri_k@muk.ac.ir
• Middle East J Anaesthesiol. 2010 Feb 1;20(4):515-9.

BackgroundSuccinylcholine is a popular muscle relaxant and one of its most common side effects is muscle fasciculation. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of remifentanil in preventing succinylcholine-induced fasciculation in patients undergoing general anesthesia.MethodsIn aprospective, double blind study, 60 ASA I & II patients were randomly assigned into two groups (30 each) to receive either remifentanil 1 microg/kg (Group R), or saline 3 ml (Group S) as a pretreatment agent, one minute before induction of general anesthesia by propofol, fentanyl, and 1.5 mg/kg succinylcholine. The duration and the intensity of fasciculation were assessed using a four-point rating scale. Data were analyzed by Mann-Whitney U-test, Fisher exact test and Student-t-test using SPSS software.ResultsIn the remifentanil group the duration (p < 0.001) and the intensity (p < 0.001) of fasciculation were lower compared to the saline group. However the incidence of bradycardia was higher in the remifentanil group in comparison to the group which received normal saline.ConclusionsOur findings indicate that remifentanil can reduce the duration and the intensity of succinylcholine induced fasciculation. However, it induces greater bradycardia.

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