Detection of Patients with Low Serum Cholinesterase Activity: Inadequacy of "Acholest" Method

[摘要] The "Acholest" test-paper method for estimating serum cholinesterase activity has been suggested as a preoperative screening test for patients potentially liable to prolonged apnea after use of succinylcholine. The method was tested on selected sera from normal persons and from patients with various hereditary variants of serum cholinesterase and results were compared to those obtained with a standard quantitative assay. The Acholest method failed to detect 12 of 20 cases at high risk of prolonged apnea after succinylcholine. It cannot therefore be considered as a suitable screening procedure.

[学科分类] 过敏症与临床免疫学