Atracurium besilate, also known as atracurium besylate, is a medication used in addition to other medications to provide skeletal muscle relaxation during surgery or mechanical ventilation. It can also be used to help with endotracheal intubation but suxamethonium (succinylcholine) is generally preferred if this needs to be done quickly. It is given by injection into a vein. Effects are greatest at about 4 minutes and last for up to an hour.Common side effects include flushing of the skin and low blood pressure. Serious side effects may include allergic reactions; however, it has not been associated with malignant hyperthermia. Prolonged paralysis may occur in people with conditions like myasthenia gravis. It is unclear if use in pregnancy is safe for the baby. Atracurium is in the neuromuscular-blocker family of medications and is of the non-depolarizing type. It works by blocking the action of acetylcholine on skeletal muscles.Atracurium was approved for medical use in the United States in 1983. It is on the World Health Organizations List of Essential Medicines. Atracurium is available as a generic medication. Medical uses
Atracurium is a medication used in addition to other medications in to provide skeletal muscle relaxation during surgery or mechanical ventilation. It can be used to help with endotracheal intubation but takes up to 2.5 minutes to result in appropriate intubating conditions.
Stenlakes research group advanced this  concept by systematically synthesizing numerous quaternary ammonium β-aminoesters and β-aminoketones and evaluated them for skeletal muscle relaxant activity: one of these compounds, initially labelled as 33A74, eventually led to further clinical development, and came to be known as atracurium. References
External links
Neuromuscular+blocking+agents at the US National Library of Medicine Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)
"Atracurium besilate". Drug Information Portal. U.S. National Library of Medicine.