Sufentanil Propofol

Recovery is sufficiently rapid with most intravenous drugs to permit their use for short ambulatory (outpatient) surgical procedures. In the case of propofol, recovery times are similar to those seen with sevoflurane and desflurane. Although most intravenous anesthetics lack antinociceptive (analgesic) properties, their potency is adequate for short superficial surgical procedures when combined with nitrous oxide or local anesthetics, or both. Adjunctive use of potent opioids (eg, fentanyl, sufentanil or remifentanil see Chapter 31) contributes to improved cardiovascular stability, enhanced sedation, and perioperative analgesia. However, opioid compounds also enhance the ventilatory depressant effects of the intravenous agents and increase postoperative emesis. Benzodiazepines (eg, midazolam, diazepam) have a slower onset and slower recovery than the barbiturates or propofol and are rarely used for induction of anesthesia. However, preanesthetic administration of benzodiazepines (eg, midazolam) can be used to provide anxiolysis, sedation, and amnesia when used as part of an inhalational, intravenous, or balanced anesthetic technique. 

Several drugs are used intravenously, alone or in combination with other drugs, to achieve an anesthetic state (as components of balanced anesthesia) or to sedate patients in intensive care units who must be mechanically ventilated. These drugs include the following (1) barbiturates (thiopental, methohexital) (2) benzodiazepines (midazolam, diazepam) (3) opioid analgesics (morphine, fentanyl, sufentanil, alfentanil, remifentanil) (4) propofol (5) ketamine and (6) miscellaneous drugs (droperidol, etomidate, dexmedetomidine). Figure 25-2 shows the structures of... 

In two randomized, double-blind, controlled comparisons of anesthetic techniques for extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy remifentanil infusion had no advantage over the combination of fentanyl bolus plus propofol infusion, but caused more adverse effects (nausea and vomiting) (10). In another study remifentanil infusion provided comparable analgesia and caused less respiratory depression and fewer gastrointestinal symptoms than intravenous boluses of sufentanil (11). 

A 64-year-old obese man, scheduled for a hernia repair, had had previous episodes of venous thromboembolism, for which he was still taking an oral anticoagulant. Previous general anesthesia had been uneventful. General anesthesia was induced with sufentanil 15 xg and propofol 400 mg. He was given rocuronium 50 mg to facilitate endotracheal intubation, and shortly after... 

Operationally, anaesthetics can be classified as inhalational or intravenous. The most used compounds of this last group are thiopental, propofol and ketamine recently, new synthetic opioids related to phenylpiperidines (phentanyl and its congeners, sufentanil, alfentanil, remifentanil) are also used. 

Noninterfering alfentanil, aprotinin, atropine, bupivacaine, chlorpromazine, dalteparin, dexamethasone, diazepam, dopamine, droperidol, etomidate, fentanyl, furosemide, gallamine, haloperidol, midazolam, morphine, neostigmine, nitroglycerin, nitroprusside, oxytocin, pancuronium, pentobarbital, phenylephrine, phenytoin, pipecuronium, piperacillin, promethazine, propofol, ranitidine, succinylcholine, sufentanil, terbutaline, thiopental, vecuronium, verapamil... 

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