Succinylcholine is a fast-acting, short-duration muscle relaxant that is used when a tube is inserted into a patient’s trachea or when a bronchoscope is used to examine the trachea and bronchi for signs of cancer. Within seconds of the administration of succinylcholine, the patient experiences muscle paralysis and is placed on a respirator while the examination proceeds. Succinylcholine is a competitive inhibitor of acetylcholinesterase, a nervous system enzyme, and this inhibition causes paralysis. However, succinylcholine is hydrolyzed by blood-stream cholinesterase, which shows broader substrate specificity than does the nervous system enzyme. Paralysis lasts until the succinylcholine is hydrolyzed by the serum cholinesterase, usually several minutes later. a - As a safety measure, serum cholinesterase is measured before the exam takes place. Why is measurement a good idea? b - some patients have a mutant form of the serum cholinesterase that displays a Km of 10mM, rather than the normal 1.4mM. What will be the effect of this mutation on the patient?