Suxamethonium--electromyographic studies in children

Suxamethonium was administered to 225 children aged from one to sixteen years, in doses varying from 0.1 to 0.5 mg/kg. Dose responses were determined. ED95 was 445 micrograms/kg in one to four year olds, 454 micrograms/kg in the five to ten years group and 270 micrograms/kg in eleven to fifteen year olds (P less than 0.05). There is a wider variability in patient responses to 0.1 and 0.2 mg/kg than to the higher doses. Sixty-two children in the three age groups were given suxamethonium 1 mg/kg. The time from injection to maximum block and to 50% recovery increased with increasing age (P less than 0.05).