Sugammadex, a gamma cyclodextrin discovered in 2007, provides a safe and effective alternative to drugs currently used in surgery by anesthesiologists. A problem in the current practice of anesthesia is the use of Succinylcholine, a neuromuscular blocking agent used for the cessation of the patient's skeletal muscle movement. Succinylcholine is used due to its unique fast onset and short duration, ideal for short procedures, difficult intubation scenarios, and rapid sequence intubation. However, it is used cautiously due to several risks such as causing myalgia, hyperkalemia, fasciculations, and increasing intracranial, intragastric, and intraocular pressure.
Sugammadex provides a safer alternative to Succinylcholine because it allows immediate reversal of a neuromuscular blockade through a different mechanism, which does not lead to harmful adverse effects. Sugammadex works by encapsulating its target muscle relaxant, Rocuronium. Rocuronium is a relatively safer drug than Succinylcholine with a similar time of onset, but a very long duration of action. Since Sugammadex is able to immediately reverse the effects of Rocuronium, this combination of Rocuronium and Sugammadex provides the same desired effect as Succinylcholine but without the harmful side effects.
The current most widely used reversal agent for muscle relaxation is Neostigmine. The problems with Neostigmine are that it can lead to residual paralysis and recurarisation if under dosed. It also produces unwanted cholinergic side effects that lead to cardiovascular instability. Due to this, the medical community is in need for a better reversal agent that can both quickly and completely reverse muscle paralysis without the need to manage unwanted side effects. Sugammadex is able to address both the problems of Succinylcholine and Neostigmine.
Studies have shown Sugammadex to provide a faster, safer, and more predictable reversal of Rocuronium - induced neuromuscular blockade than Neostigmine. Sugammadex has shown to also achieve faster recovery from Rocuronium - induced muscle paralysis than the fast spontaneous recovery of Succinylcholine. With no serious adverse effects observed in these studies, the data supports the use of Sugammadex and its potential to replace the current standards of practice with Succinylcholine and Neostigmine. Furthermore, high dosage of Sugammadex has shown to be capable of immediately reversing profound neuromuscular blockades, an ability that no reversal drug currently in the market possesses. This enables the anesthesiologist to provide optimal muscle relaxation for the surgeon throughout the operation without the concern of being unable to reverse the patient in a timely manner.
Studies on multiple patient population groups do not show any serious adverse effects are linked to using Sugammadex. There have been incidences of drug induced QTc prolongation in cardiac patients, but its cause was not determined to be related solely with Sugammadex. Sugammadex has shown to be the safer reversal agent compared to Neostigmine in cardiac, pulmonary, and renal patients.
One problem that prevents the routine use of Sugammadex is its cost. The cost is significantly higher than Neostigmine. This cost is justified, however, due to staff costs saved from a faster patient recovery and shorter stay in the hospital. Therefore, while Sugammadex is definitely warranted over Succinylcholine due to its safety profile, its use over Neostigmine is dependent on each healthcare facility. While Sugammadex is currently under review by the Food and Drug Administration, it will evolve the practice of anesthesia if allowed into the United States market.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bu.edu/oai:open.bu.edu:2144/13307 |
| Date | 24 September 2015 |
| Creators | Liu, Yitao |
| Source Sets | Boston University |
| Language | en_US |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis/Dissertation |
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