Anesthesiology
-
Sufentanil is used for general anesthesia and analgesia. The study aim was to determine the effect of pharmacologically induced changes in cardiac output on the pharmacokinetics of sufentanil in anesthetized pigs. ⋯ Cardiac output influences the pharmacokinetics of sufentanil. Simulations suggest that in the case of increased cardiac output, the dose should be increased to avoid inadequate drug effect at the expense of prolonged recovery, whereas for low cardiac output the dose should be reduced, and a faster recovery may be expected.
-
The opioid epidemic, driven in part by increased prescribing, is a public health emergency. This study examines dispensed prescription patterns and approvals of new opioid analgesic products to investigate whether the introduction of these new drugs increases prescribing. ⋯ An online visual overview is available for this article at http://links.lww.com/ALN/B705.
-
Sleepiness and decrease in attention are dose-limiting side effects of opioids. The orexin/hypocretin system plays an important role in maintaining wakefulness. This study aimed to explore the potential of a nonpeptide orexin receptor agonist to alleviate morphine-induced sedative effects. ⋯ Orexin-A and/or YNT-185 attenuated morphine-induced sedative effects assessed by EEG changes and behavioral measures in rats. The authors' results suggest that orexin-2 receptor activation alleviates morphine-induced sedative effects.