Final answer:
The effect of general anesthesia on muscular dystrophy is not directly linked. Under anesthesia, the muscles necessary for breathing and moving the tongue can be affected. Duchenne muscular dystrophy is a genetic disorder that weakens the skeletal muscles over time.
Step-by-step explanation:
General anesthesia can affect the muscles, including those necessary for breathing and moving the tongue. Under anesthesia, the tongue can relax and potentially block the airway, while the muscles of respiration may not function properly. To prevent complications, endotracheal intubation is used to maintain an open airway to the lungs and seal it off from the oropharynx. After surgery, when the muscles of respiration begin to work, the tube is removed and it takes about 30 minutes for the patient to wake up and regain control of breathing.
Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a genetic disorder that weakens the skeletal muscles. It is characterized by a lack of the protein dystrophin, which leads to muscle damage and degradation over time. However, there is no direct link between general anesthesia or the use of succinylcholine and the development or progression of muscular dystrophy.