The Edrophonium Chloride (Tensilon) Test


Weakness caused by abnormal neuromuscular transmission characteristically improves after intravenous administration of edrophonium chloride, commonly referred to as the Tensilon®Test. Some patients who do not respond to intravenous edrophonium chloride may respond to intramuscular neostigmine, because of its longer duration of action. Intramuscular neostigmine is particularly useful in infants and children whose response to intravenous edrophonium chloride may be too brief for adequate observation. In some patients, a therapeutic trial of daily oral pyridostigmine may produce improvement that can't be appreciated after a single dose of edrophonium chloride or neostigmine.

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