Which medications can be used to break a laryngospasm?

• A. IV Epinephrine or IV Atropine
• B. IV Succinylcholine or IV Lidocaine 2%
• C. Inhaled Albuterol
• D. Oral Diazepam

Answer: (B)

Laryngospasm is an emergency where the vocal cords involuntarily clamp shut, so the fastest way to restore the airway is to rapidly relax the laryngeal muscles or blunt the airway reflexes that trigger the spasm. Intravenous succinylcholine is a rapid, short-acting depolarizing neuromuscular blocker that directly paralyzes the laryngeal muscles, allowing the airway to reopen within seconds to a minute. IV lidocaine 2% can also help by dampening airway reflexes and reducing irritation that contributes to the spasm, supporting a quicker resolution when used promptly.

Other medications don’t address the underlying emergency as reliably: epinephrine or atropine target different problems (such as severe anaphylaxis or bradycardia) rather than providing immediate relief of laryngeal closure; inhaled albuterol treats bronchospasm but not the reflexive glottic closure; and oral diazepam is too slow and not effective for an acute, life-threatening laryngospasm.