Chemicals and Drugs

Neuromuscular Blocking Agents

Drugs that interrupt transmission of nerve impulses at the skeletal neuromuscular junction. They can be of two types, competitive, stabilizing blockers (NEUROMUSCULAR NONDEPOLARIZING AGENTS) or noncompetitive, depolarizing agents (NEUROMUSCULAR DEPOLARIZING AGENTS). Both prevent acetylcholine from triggering the muscle contraction and they are used as anesthesia adjuvants, as relaxants during electroshock, in convulsive states, etc.

National Library of MedicineMedical Subject Headings2026

Structured Summary

Abstract

Drugs that interrupt transmission of nerve impulses at the skeletal neuromuscular junction. They can be of two types, competitive, stabilizing blockers (NEUROMUSCULAR NONDEPOLARIZING AGENTS) or noncompetitive, depolarizing agents (NEUROMUSCULAR DEPOLARIZING AGENTS). Both prevent acetylcholine from triggering the muscle contraction and they are used as anesthesia adjuvants, as relaxants during electroshock, in convulsive states, etc.

MeSH Record

Classification

Related Concepts

Knowledge Graph

Loading graph…

Drag nodes to rearrange; hover to trace links; click a node to open its page.

MeSH Record

See Also

MeSH Record

Synonyms

9 entry terms
  • Neuromuscular Blocker
  • Neuromuscular Blockers
  • Neuromuscular Blocking Agent
  • Agent, Neuromuscular Blocking
  • Agents, Neuromuscular Blocking
  • Blocker, Neuromuscular
  • Blockers, Neuromuscular
  • Blocking Agent, Neuromuscular
  • Blocking Agents, Neuromuscular

MeSH Record

Aspects Covered

24 allowable subheadings

Indexed with the subheadings administration & dosage, adverse effects, agonists, analysis, antagonists & inhibitors, blood, cerebrospinal fluid, chemical synthesis, chemistry, classification, economics, history, immunology, isolation & purification, metabolism, pharmacokinetics, pharmacology, poisoning, radiation effects, standards, supply & distribution, therapeutic use, toxicity, urine.

MeSH Record

Indexing Annotation

general or unspecified; prefer specifics

MeSH Record

History Note

75; was see under CURARE-LIKE AGENTS & NEUROMUSCULAR DEPOLARIZING AGENTS 1970-74

MeSH Record

Previous Indexing

  • Autonomic Agents (1966-1974)
  • Curare-Like Agents (1970-1974)
  • Neuromuscular Depolarizing Agents (1970-1974)

MeSH Hierarchy

Tree Number

MeSH Record

NLM Classification

QV 140

AMA Style

References

  1. National Library of Medicine. Neuromuscular Blocking Agents. Medical Subject Headings (MeSH). 2026. Unique ID D009466. http://id.nlm.nih.gov/mesh/2026/D009466
  2. Neuromuscular Blocking Agents. In: Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q50430101