Prevention of suxamethonium-induced changes in serum potassium concentration by hexafluorenium. Is their combined use justified?

Sixty patients, none of whom was suffering from renal failure, received neurolept anaesthesia. They were divided into six groups of 10 patients each. Groups I and IV, II and V, and III and VI were given suxamethonium 0.2, 0.6 and 1.0 mg kg-1 respectively. Groups IV-VI were pretreated with hexafluorenium 0.3 mg kg-1. The serum potassium concentration decreased significantly after the induction of anaesthesia and also following the administration of hexafluorenium. Neither suxamethonium 0.2 mg nor 0.6 mg kg-1 with or without hexafluorenium restored the potassium concentration to the control value. Suxamethonium 1.0 mg kg-1 alone caused the serum potassium to increase to values greater than control; hexafluorenium attenuated this effect. The combination of hexafluorenium and suxamethonium may be of benefit in patients who are anephric or are in chronic renal failure.