UNDER CONSTRUCTIONAtracurium is an intermediate onset intermediate duration non-depolarizing neuromuscular blocking agent. It was developed in 1974 and was officially FDA approved on November 23, 1983.
One of the most interesting features of the atracurium molecule is the fact that it has 10 stereoisomers with varying degrees of potency and side effects. For a nice long awesome description about the stereochemistry of atracurium, click here. |
Clinical Information
Note - The main reference I use is drugs.com, which gives excellent information on the drug.
http://www.drugs.com/pro/atracurium-besylate-injection.html
Generic name: Atracurium Besylate
Trade names: Tracurium (the main one), Relatrac, Atracade
ED95 - 0.2 mg/kg (the official ED95 is 0.23 mg/kg, but you'll see 0.2 much more often.)
Onset time: 2 - 2.5 minutes
Time to 25% recovery: 35-45 minutes
Side effects - Histamine release, breaks down into laudanosine which lowers the threshold for seizures
http://www.drugs.com/pro/atracurium-besylate-injection.html
Generic name: Atracurium Besylate
Trade names: Tracurium (the main one), Relatrac, Atracade
ED95 - 0.2 mg/kg (the official ED95 is 0.23 mg/kg, but you'll see 0.2 much more often.)
Onset time: 2 - 2.5 minutes
Time to 25% recovery: 35-45 minutes
Side effects - Histamine release, breaks down into laudanosine which lowers the threshold for seizures
Chemistry of atracurium - Structure and the 10 Isomers
CLICK HERE to see all 10 isomers of atracurium.
In order to understand how atracurium's isomers work, you will have to know some organic chemistry.
Isomers - Two different molecules that have the same chemical formula. Atracurium's chemical formula is C53H72N2O12. Every isomer of atracurium will have 53 carbons, 72 hydrogens, 2 nitrogens, and 12 oxygens.
Stereoisomers - Two molecules with the same structural constitution or the same order in which the atoms are arranged, but the 3-dimensional orientation of the atoms differ.
In order to understand how atracurium's isomers work, you will have to know some organic chemistry.
Isomers - Two different molecules that have the same chemical formula. Atracurium's chemical formula is C53H72N2O12. Every isomer of atracurium will have 53 carbons, 72 hydrogens, 2 nitrogens, and 12 oxygens.
Stereoisomers - Two molecules with the same structural constitution or the same order in which the atoms are arranged, but the 3-dimensional orientation of the atoms differ.