Articles: opioid-analgesics.
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Sufentanil, an opioid analgesic, is an analogue of fentanyl, and has been used for the induction and maintenance of anaesthesia, and for postsurgical analgesia. It has shorter distribution and elimination half-lives, and is a more potent analgesic than fentanyl. In clinical practice, however, intravenously administered sufentanil produces essentially equivalent anaesthesia to fentanyl and is a better anaesthetic than morphine or pethidine (meperidine) for major surgery. ⋯ Epidural sufentanil produces a more rapid onset and better initial quality of analgesia than morphine, buprenorphine or hydromorphine when administered postoperatively, but the duration of analgesia is shorter. Thus, sufentanil's primary place in therapy at this time would appear to be as high dose anaesthesia for major surgery such as cardiac surgery, and as low dose supplement to balanced anaesthesia in general surgery. In addition, low doses administered epidurally seem to have a potential role for analgesia during labour or after surgery although further studies are required to clarify this situation.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
Low-dose sufentanil as a supplement to halothane/N2O anaesthesia in infants and children.
Sufentanil as a supplement to halothane/N2O anaesthesia was evaluated in 32 unpremedicated infants and children age 6 months to 9 yr undergoing elective orthopaedic surgery. Patients were randomly assigned in a double-blind manner to receive one of four intravenous supplements: placebo, sufentanil 0.5, 1.0 or 1.5 micrograms.kg-1. Systolic arterial pressure (SAP), heart rate (HR) and end-tidal halothane concentration were recorded before and after induction, supplement administration, tracheal intubation, incision and every 15 min during the procedure. ⋯ One patient in the sufentanil 1.0 micrograms.kg-1 group whose surgical time was less than 45 min exhibited respiratory depression in the PACU requiring narcotic reversal. In conclusion, sufentanil 0.5 micrograms.kg-1 improved immediate postoperative pain relief and is acceptable as a supplement during halothane anasethesia in infants and children. The associated side effects of larger doses of sufentanil (1.0 and 1.5 micrograms.kg-1) make their use as a supplement to halothane anaesthesia unacceptable.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
Analgesic and respiratory effects of epidural sufentanil in patients following thoracotomy.
Immediately following thoracotomy, 22 patients were entered into a randomized, double blind study comparing the effects of three lumbar epidural doses of sufentanil on postoperative pain and respiratory pattern. Patients were given either 30 micrograms (group I), 50 micrograms (group II), or 75 micrograms (group III) of epidural sufentanil in 20 ml N saline. Repeat doses were given on request for the 24-h study period. ⋯ Analgesia was not significantly prolonged by increasing the dose of sufentanil. SRR occurred in all four groups (group I: 2/9; group II: 2/6; group III: 7/7; group IV: 2/10 P less than 0.05 I, IV:II, I, IV:III, II:III). The number of episodes of SRR/hr was highest in group II (group I: 0.6 +/- 0.8, group II: 4.12 +/- 0.6, group III: 1.8 +/- 2.0, group IV: 0.5 +/- 0.2) (NS).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)