Final answer:
Anectine is a short-term muscle blocking agent used for rapid procedures such as intubation, while Norcuron is used for longer periods of muscle relaxation. Atropine, another medication, is the standard treatment for nerve agent poisoning and works by blocking muscarinic acetylcholine receptors.
Step-by-step explanation:
Anectine is used for short-term muscle blocking agent for procedures like intubation and ECT. Norcuron is for intermediate or long-term muscle relaxation. Both drugs are neuromuscular blocking agents used to facilitate tracheal intubation and to provide skeletal muscle relaxation during surgery or mechanical ventilation. However, while Anectine (succinylcholine) acts quickly and has a short duration of action, suitable for rapid sequence intubation, Norcuron (vecuronium) has a longer duration of action, making it more suitable for procedures requiring extended periods of muscle relaxation.
Atropine is another medication used in the medical field but for a different purpose. It is primarily known as the standard anticholinergic drug to manage the symptoms of nerve agent poisoning by acting as an antagonist to muscarinic acetylcholine receptors. Atropine blocks the effects of excess acetylcholine and is critical in clearing bronchial secretions. Synthetic anticholinergics like biperiden can be more effective than atropine in counteracting the central symptoms of nerve agent poisoning because they better penetrate the blood-brain barrier. The endpoint for atropine's administration is determined by the clearing of these secretions.