Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 8, 2026
09:44
Development, Characterization, and Evaluation of CAGE-based Ionic Liquid Systems for Transdermal Delivery
Published on: September 26, 2025
Room temperature stability of injectable succinylcholine dichloride.
Julie J Roy1, Daniel Boismenu, Orval A Mamer
1S.M.B.D.-Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
International Journal of Pharmaceutical Compounding
|August 24, 2013
Summary
Commercially available intravenous succinylcholine dichloride (Quelicin) exhibits good room temperature stability. This muscle relaxant can be safely stored for up to six months at room temperature.
Area of Science:
- Pharmaceutical Science
- Analytical Chemistry
Background:
- Succinylcholine dichloride is a critical neuromuscular blocking agent used in anesthesia.
- Understanding the stability of intravenous formulations is essential for clinical practice and drug management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the room temperature stability of commercial intravenous succinylcholine dichloride (Quelicin) over several months.
- To provide data supporting safe storage conditions for this medication.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a validated electro-spray tandem mass spectrometry method for succinylcholine dichloride quantification.
- Employed a stable isotope dilution assay with hexadeuterosuccinylcholine diiodide as the internal standard.
- Established calibration curves based on product ion intensity ratios.
Main Results:
- The analytical method demonstrated specificity, sensitivity, and reproducibility.
- Succinylcholine dichloride concentration declined linearly over the study period.
- After 1, 3, and 6 months at room temperature, vial contents retained approximately 98%, 95%, and 90% of initial concentration, respectively.
Conclusions:
- Succinylcholine dichloride (Quelicin) demonstrates acceptable stability at room temperature for up to six months.
- The findings support the safe storage of succinylcholine dichloride vials at room temperature under normal daylight conditions for this duration.
Related Concept Videos
01:19Depolarizing Blockers: Pharmocokinetics
Depolarizing blockers are administered through intravenous injection. Succinylcholine is the most common choice of depolarizing blockers in emergency clinical practices. Although they have a rapid onset, they readily diffuse away from the motor end plate into the extracellular fluid. They are metabolized by enzymes such as liver butyrylcholinesterase and plasma pseudocholinesterases. This produces a short duration of action, typically 5-10 minutes long, unlike nondepolarizing blockers, which...
01:21Skeletal Muscle Relaxants: Adverse Effects
Skeletal muscle relaxants are widely used for muscle paralysis and relieving pain following any muscle injury or stiffness. However, depending on the drug type, they can have adverse effects that range from mild to severe. Usually, nondepolarizing neuromuscular blockers have minimal side effects. For example, drugs like d-tubocurarine, cisatracurium, and rocuronium cause hypotension, whereas drugs like baclofen, when stopped abruptly, can lead to the recurrence of spastic conditions.
Unlike...
Unlike...
01:22Pharmaceutical Alternatives: Stability-Related Therapeutic Nonequivalence
Generic intravenous (IV) drugs are considered bioequivalent to their branded counterparts due to their 100% bioavailability upon administration. However, variations in stability among different drug products can significantly influence their therapeutic performance, even if they are pharmaceutically equivalent.Cefuroxime, a prophylactic antimicrobial, is often used as a single-dose IV injection for patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting surgery. A 3 g dose typically provides...
01:28Depolarizing Blockers: Mechanism of Action
Depolarizing blockers act on skeletal muscle fibers' membranes and induce their depolarization. Most depolarizing blockers have two quaternary N+ atoms that bind the nicotinic acetylcholine receptors and cause neuromuscular blockade within minutes.
Succinylcholine is the most commonly used depolarizing blocker. Chemically, it constitutes two molecules of acetylcholine joined together by an acetate methyl group. They act on the receptors in the same way as acetylcholine. Because succinylcholine...
Succinylcholine is the most commonly used depolarizing blocker. Chemically, it constitutes two molecules of acetylcholine joined together by an acetate methyl group. They act on the receptors in the same way as acetylcholine. Because succinylcholine...
01:16Drug Product Stability
The long-term stability of drug products is critical to ensuring their quality, safety, and effectiveness over time. Stability directly influences a product's ability to maintain its intended characteristics, ensuring it performs as expected during its intended shelf life. Key attributes such as drug potency, impurities, dissolution, and other physicochemical measures of performance are tested to assess stability. These parameters indicate how well the product retains its quality over time and...
01:31Skeletal Muscle Relaxants: Therapeutic Uses
Skeletal muscle relaxants are used to relax muscle tone and alleviate painful muscle contractions. However, the choice of skeletal muscle relaxants depends on the duration of the surgical procedure in order to minimize potential side effects. Skeletal muscle relaxants like neuromuscular blocking agents [NMBAs] are commonly employed as adjuvants alongside general anesthetics in clinical settings. NMBAs are also used to maintain controlled ventilation during surgery of the larynx or pharynx as...