Differences in sedation level and adverse effects produced by equivalent analgesic doses of remifentanil,sufentanil and fentanyl

Objective To examine the differences in the level of sedation and adverse effects produced by equivalent analgesic doses of remifentanil,sufentanil and fentanyl.Methods Eighty ASA Ⅰ female patients aged 18-39 yr with BMI of 18-25 kg/m2 scheduled for laparoscopic surgery under general anesthesia were randomly divided into 4 groups ( n =20 each):group control (group C) ; group remifentanil ( group R) ; group sufentanil (group S) and group fentanyl (group F).Remifentanil 2 μg/kg,sufentanil 0.2 μg/kg and fentanyl 2 μg/kg in normal saline 10 ml were infused iv over 2 min in groups R,S and F respectively.Depth of sedation was assessed and scored using OAA/S scale (5 =alert,1 =no response to prodding) and wavele index (WLI),before (baseline) and at 2,4,6,8 and 10 min after drug administration.Besides RR,pulse oxygen saturation,BP,HR were also monitored.The incidences of apnea,muscle rigidity,nausea and vomiting,pruritus,vertigo,bradycardia,profuse sweating and skin rash were measured and calculated.Results The 4 groups were comparable with respect to age,BMI and height.The lowest values of OAA/S scores,WLI and RR were significantly lower in groups R,S and F than in group C.Sufentanil produced the deepest sedation among the 3 opioids.Remifentanil produced strongest respiratory depression and nausea and vomiting.Conclusion The equivalent analgesic dose of sufentanil produces deeper sedation than that of remifentanil and fentanyl while remifentanil has the greatest impact on RR. Key words: Analgesics, opioid; Conscious sedation; Adverse effects