Acta anaesthesiologica Belgica
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Acta Anaesthesiol Belg · Jan 2002
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Comparative Study Clinical TrialRemifentanil vs. alfentanil for direct laryngoscopy: a randomized study comparing two total intravenous anaesthesia techniques. TIVA for direct laryngoscopy.
The ideal anaesthesia for direct laryngoscopy is profound and yet brief. The present study sought to determine whether a new anaesthetic technique based on infusion of the ultra short-acting opioid remifentanil was superior to our routine alfentanil multiple-dose technique in terms of haemodynamic stability, stress responses and recovery. A total of 58 patients were randomized to receive propofol and either remifentanil or alfentanil as part of a total intravenous anaesthesia. ⋯ In the remifentanil group, hypotension or bradycardia requiring intervention arose in 5 (18%) and 3 patients (11%); neither response was seen in the alfentanil group. The period from the end of propofol infusion until extubation was 5 min longer in the remifentanil group (P < 0.0001), whereas the time from extubation until discharge was similar in the two groups. Thus, neither technique showed sufficient haemodynamic stability, and further studies are needed to determine optimal dosages of propofol and opioid.