Repeated doses of suxamethonium

Repeated sub-apnoeic doses of suxamethonium produce increased neuromuscular block in a hand muscle, measured by integrated electromyogram. The response to the initial dose varies widely between patients. More than 50% of patients showed evidence of non-depolarising block after one dose of suxamethonium. There was a variation between the response of the hand muscle and respiratory muscles.