| Indication | For use, as an adjunct to general anesthesia, to facilitate endotracheal intubation and to provide skeletal muscle relaxation during surgery or mechanical ventilation. |
| Pharmacodynamics | Atracurium is a nondepolarizing skeletal muscle relaxant. Atracurium can be used most advantageously if muscle twitch response to peripheral nerve stimulation is monitored to assess degree of muscle relaxation. The duration of neuromuscular block produced by Atracurium is approximately one third to one half the duration of block by d-tubocurarine, metocurine, and pancuronium at initially equipotent doses. As with other nondepolarizing neuromuscular blockers, the time to onset of paralysis decreases and the duration of maximum effect increases with increasing doses of Atracurium. Repeated administration of maintenance doses of Atracurium has no cumulative effect on the duration of neuromuscular block if recovery is allowed to begin prior to repeat dosing. Moreover, the time needed to recover from repeat doses does not change with additional doses. Repeat doses can therefore be administered at relatively regular intervals with predictable results. |
| Mechanism of action | Atracurium antagonizes the neurotransmitter action of acetylcholine by binding competitively with cholinergic receptor sites on the motor end-plate. This antagonism is inhibited, and neuromuscular block reversed, by acetylcholinesterase inhibitors such as neostigmine, edrophonium, and pyridostigmine. |
| Absorption | Not Available |
| Volume of distribution | Not Available |
| Protein binding | Not Available |
| Metabolism | Not Available |
| Route of elimination | Not Available |
| Half life | The elimination half-life is approximately 20 minutes. |
| Clearance | Not Available |
| Toxicity | Excessive doses can be expected to produce enhanced pharmacological effects. Overdosage may increase the risk of histamine release and cardiovascular effects, especially hypotension. |