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Concept
Pseudocholinesterase deficiency
Summary
Pseudocholinesterase deficiency is an autosomal recessive inherited blood plasma enzyme abnormality in which the body's production of butyrylcholinesterase (BCHE; pseudocholinesterase aka PCE) is impaired. People who have this abnormality may be sensitive to certain anesthetic drugs, including the muscle relaxants succinylcholine and mivacurium as well as other ester local anesthetics.
The effects are varied depending on the particular drug given. When anesthetists administer standard doses of these anesthetic drugs to a person with pseudocholinesterase deficiency, the patient experiences prolonged paralysis of the respiratory muscles, requiring an extended period of time during which the patient must be mechanically ventilated. Eventually the muscle-paralyzing effects of these drugs will wear off despite the deficiency of the pseudocholinesterase enzyme. If the patient is maintained on a mechanical respirator until normal breathing function returns, there is little risk of harm to the patient.
Because it is rare in the general population, pseudocholinesterase deficiency is sometimes overlooked when a patient does not wake up after surgery. If this happens, there are two major complications that can arise. First, the patient may lie awake and paralyzed while medical providers try to determine the cause of the patient's unresponsiveness. Second, the breathing tube may be removed before the patient is strong enough to breathe properly, potentially causing respiratory arrest.
This enzyme abnormality is a benign condition unless a person with pseudocholinesterase deficiency is exposed to the offending pharmacological agents.
The main complication resulting from pseudocholinesterase deficiency is the possibility of respiratory failure secondary to succinylcholine or mivacurium-induced neuromuscular paralysis. Individuals with pseudocholinesterase deficiency also may be at increased risk of toxic reactions, including sudden cardiac death, associated with recreational use of the aromatic ester cocaine.
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