c202 Suxamethonium

c202 Suxamethonium Scientific Information

Type:

Whole Allergen

Display Name:

Suxamethonium

Allergen code:

c202

Route of Exposure:

Injection (intravenous, intramuscular)

Other Names:

Succinylcholine, sux

WHO/ICD-11 code:

XM09Y8

(ICD-11 is currently under implementation by WHO and the ICD-11 codes displayed in the encyclopedia may not yet be available in all countries)

Summary

Less than 10% of all adverse reactions to drugs have immunological background, and only a part of those are IgE-mediated.

Epidemiology

In many countries, NMBAs represent a significant cause of anesthesia-related anaphylaxis. (3) For example, in Australia anaphylaxis to NMBAs remains the leading cause of perioperative anaphylaxis (8).

A survey showed that the mortality rate from an immediate hypersensitivity reaction to NMBAs administration was relatively high (4.1%) in France over the period 2000–2012 (9).

Also, the French data revealed that Suxamethonium and rocuronium are markedly more involved in perioperative anaphylaxis than the other available NMBAs. Patients should be more informed about their perioperative anaphylaxis and its consequences (10).

Allergy to neuromuscular blocking agents (NMBA) constitutes a major cause of potentially life-threatening perioperative anaphylaxis. In a study with 344 patients, NMBA accounted for 40% of all patients with an IgE-mediated perioperative allergy (11). However other studies showed even higher values (up to 60%) (12).

Risk Factors

Several clinical features are reported as risk factors of anaphylactic reactions induced by anesthetic agents including NMBAs: older age, asthma, hypertension and antihypertensive drugs (13).

Route of Exposure

NMBAs are mainly administered intravenously but may also be given intramuscularly (12).

Clinical Relevance

Anaphylaxis during general anesthesia is rare but it can be severe, as it is often complicated by significant morbidity. Identification of the cause of anaphylaxis may pose a significant dilemma to the allergist and anesthetist. Results from a study in the UK showed that when the drug culprit of anaphylaxis was detected NMBAs represented 38.1% of the cases (4).

Following diagnosis of anaphylaxis to a NMBA, identifying safe alternatives for subsequent anesthesia is critical because a patient with anaphylaxis to one NMBA can also have an allergic reaction to other NMBAs (cross-reactivity) (8).

Molecular Aspects

Cross-reactivity

Cross-reactivity between different NMBA is common since they all share the quaternary ammonium ion allergenic epitope (5). However, the extent of cross-reactivity varies considerably between patients and it is unusual for an individual to be allergic to all NMBAs (16). The explanation for this is that IgE antibody paratopes may not only recognize the quaternary ammonium ion, indeed sometimes the molecular environment around the ammonium ion is also part of the allergenic epitope. The possibility of multiple allergies to NMBAs should therefore be considered (17).

Compiled By

Author: Dr. Fabio Iachetti

Reviewer: Dr. Christian Fischer

Last reviewed: October 2020

References

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