RESUMO
A two part questionnaire was filled out for Barbadian patients undergoing anaesthesia at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital. Members of the Department of Anaesthesia filled out part I on clinical details, anaesthetic technique, surgical procedure and types of fasciculation. A trained interviewer who was unaware of the aims of the project completed part II with the patient within 10 days of the operation. Questions were directed to the time of ambulation, degree of exercise, and the amount of pain or stiffness. The results show a low incidence of post suxamethonium pains (4.46 percent). Pain and or stiffness is most likely to occur after suxamethonium in patients undergoing major operations, performing mild exercise in the postoperative period, in the 21-30 year age group and in females. Ambulation appears to be a factor in the production of pain. The dose of suxamethonium given on a body weight basis is unimportant in the production of pain and no protection is apparent in the use of thiopentone during induction, or of halothane, omnopon, valium or pethidine as supplements to anaesthesia. Severe fasciculations were not particularly common and did not necessarily produce post suxamethonium pains (AU)