• Nihal Demirel, Ahmet Y Bas, Sumru Kavurt, Istemi H Celik, Husniye Yucel, Dursun Turkbay, Emre Hekimoğlu, and Orhan Koc.
• Department of Neonatology, Etlik Zubeyde Hanim Women's Health Teaching and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
• Am J Perinatol. 2014 Nov 1;31(11):983-6.

BackgroundRetinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a significant cause of childhood blindness.AimThe aim of this study is to determine the feasibility of remifentanil analgesia during laser treatment of ROP performed in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).Patients And MethodsRemifentanil was infused continuously during the procedure starting with a dose of 0.2 µg/kg/min and increased gradually to 0.6 µg/kg/min to provide an adequate level of analgesia.ResultsWe enrolled 64 infants. Remifentanil was infused continuously at a mean rate of 0.4 ± 0.1 μg/kg/min. No major adverse effects were observed except in two patients with reversible bradycardia and hypotension. Premature infant pain profile (PIPP) scores revealed no pain. Patients with bronchopulmonary dysplasia had similar remifentanil dosage, intubation duration, and extubation time.ConclusionsRemifentanil analgesia for ROP treatment performed in the NICU by pediatricians is a safe and effective modality. This modality offers a practical solution in hospitals without readily available pediatric anesthetists.Thieme Medical Publishers 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA.

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