Tag: Muscle paralysis

Used for centuries by South American indigenous peoples as an arrow poison, curare is a potent neurotoxin capable of causing total muscle paralysis. This effect occurs by disrupting the normal communication between nerve cells and muscle fibers at a specific location called the neuromuscular junction.

Over 90% of patients undergoing general anesthesia develop lung atelectasis, or partial lung collapse, during surgery. This highlights a key pharmacological effect that raises a common question: does anesthesia stop lungs from working? The answer is more complex than a simple 'yes' or 'no', involving muscle paralysis and central nervous system depression, all carefully managed by an anesthesiologist.