Compared with an overdose of other CNS depressants, muscle relaxant overdose requires:

• A. More aggressive treatment
• B. Less aggressive treatment
• C. About the same level of treatment
• D. No treatment

Answer: (A)

In overdose, muscle relaxants can cause deep central and peripheral depression that severely impairs breathing and airway protection, sometimes with prolonged effects. There is no reliable antidote to reverse their action, so patients often need aggressive supportive care, including securing the airway and providing mechanical ventilation, plus careful hemodynamic monitoring and treatment as needed. Many other CNS depressants have reversal options or less intense respiratory compromise, so the management intensity is typically greater with muscle relaxant overdoses. This is why more aggressive treatment is indicated.