Summary
In a group of 42 healthy newborns and infants to the age of 6 months, the hydrolysis rates of benzoylcholine and procaine by the plasma cholinesterase were found to be about half the rates observed in 322 healthy adults. In contrast to adults, a marked resistance of infant plasma cholinesterase to neostigmine inhibition was found. The low plasma cholinesterase activity of newborns and infants to 6 months of age should be taken into account in the calculation
Résumé
Nous avons étudié l'activité cholinestérasique du plasma chez quarante-deux nouveaux nés et des enfants de six mois. Les taux d'hydrolyse du chlorure de benzoylcholine et du chlorhydrate de procaïne des nouveaux nés et des enfants ont été de 50 pour cent des taux des 322 adultes normaux, mâles et femelles. Par contraste avec les adultes normaux, une résistance de cholinestérase du plasma à l'inhibition par néostigmine a été observée. Il faut tenir compte de l'activité cholinestérasique réduite des nouveaux-nés et des enfants, quand on calcule les doses de chlorure de succinylcholine qui, en toute sécurité, vont prévenir l'apnée et/ou l'arrêt cardiaque.
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Dr. Downs is an Oral Surgeon. This work was formerly presented in a thesis for the partial fulfillment of the requirements ofmdm at the University of Pittsburgh, School of Dentistry, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 1513, U.S.A. Currently in practice of oral surgery in Owosso, Michigan, U.S.A.
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Zsigmond, E.K., Downs, J.R. Plasma cholinesterase activity in newborns and infants. Canad. Anaesth. Soc. J. 18, 278–285 (1971). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03025463
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03025463