Recommended dose of sufentanil during induction of general anesthesia to avoid coughing and drastic hemodynamic fluctuations in patients undergoing surgery

Abstract

Background Sufentanil-induced cough (SIC) is a common complication during anesthesia induction. We explored the recommended sufentanil dose that effectively avoids cough during general anesthesia using a clinical trial to analyze the effective dose (ED)50 and ED95 of sufentanil that avoids cough, hemodynamic fluctuations, and adverse reactions. Methods On the basis of sufentanil dose, 136 patients (ASA class I–II) were randomly allocated into the following groups: I, 0.1 μg/kg; II, 0.3 μg/kg; III, 0.5 μg/kg; or IV, 1.0 μg/kg. The number of coughing incidents, dizziness, panic, and chest tightness within 1 minute after sufentanil injection, and the patient’s heart rate (HR) and blood pressure 5 minutes after intubation were recorded and analyzed. Cough was assessed as follows: none, 0 times; mild, 1 to 2 times/minute; moderate, 3 to 4 times/minute; and severe, 5 times/minute or more. Results The ED50 and ED95 of cough incidence induced by intravenous sufentanil in patients during general anesthesia induction was 0.332 μg/kg and 1.423 μg/kg, respectively. The cough rate in group I was lower than the other groups. The incidence of dizziness, panic, chest tightness, hypertension, bradycardia, and tachycardia were not significantly different. Conclusions The recommended sufentanil dose during general anesthesia induction is 0.1 μg/kg.