A comparison of remifentanil and alfentanil in patients undergoing major abdominal surgery

<jats:p>The efficacy and safety of remifentanil and alfentanil for patients undergoing major abdominal surgery were compared. Premedicated patients received a loading dose of remifentanil (1.0 μg.kg<jats:sup>−1</jats:sup>; <jats:italic>n</jats:italic> =116) and a continuous infusion of 0.5 μg.kg<jats:sup>−1</jats:sup>.min<jats:sup>−1</jats:sup>, or a loading dose of alfentanil (25 μg.kg<jats:sup>−1</jats:sup>; <jats:italic>n</jats:italic> =118) and a continuous infusion of 1.0 μg.kg<jats:sup>−1</jats:sup>.min<jats:sup>−1</jats:sup>. Propofol was administered (10 mg every 10 s) until loss of consciousness. Patients’ lungs were ventilated with 66% nitrous oxide and 0.5% (end‐tidal) isoflurane in oxygen. The study drug infusion rate was reduced by 50% 5 min after intubation. Alfentanil was discontinued 15 min before the end of surgery, whereas remifentanil was continued in the immediate postoperative period at a reduced dose. Responses to intubation (28%) and skin incision (17%) occurred approximately twice as often in the alfentanil group (15% and 8%; p = 0.014 and p = 0.037, respectively). More patients receiving alfentanil had one or more responses to surgery (72% vs. 57%; p = 0.016). The time to spontaneous respiration, adequate respiration, response to verbal command and time to recovery room discharge were similar. However, owing to decreased variability, the time to extubation was shorter with remifentanil than with alfentanil (p =0.048). There was a similar overall incidence of adverse events in both groups, 82% and 75% of patients, respectively. Adverse events associated with remifentanil were rapidly controlled by dose reductions. The incidence of intra‐operative hypotension and bradycardia was higher in the remifentanil group (p ≤0.033). An initial remifentanil infusion rate of 0.1 μg.kg<jats:sup>−1</jats:sup>.min<jats:sup>−1</jats:sup> titrated to individual need provided postoperative pain relief in the presence of adequate respiration in 71% of patients. When using remifentanil in the immediate postoperative setting, rapid administration of bolus doses and infusion rate increases resulted in a relatively high incidence of muscle rigidity, respiratory depression and apnoea. Changing the postoperative regimen to avoid rapid changes in remifentanil blood concentration resulted in more effective analgesia and dramatically reduced the incidence of adverse events during this period. In patients undergoing major abdominal surgery, remifentanil appears to offer superior intra‐operative haemodynamic stability during stressful surgical events compared with alfentanil without compromising recovery from anaesthesia. Remifentanil can be administered as a postoperative analgesic agent at a starting dose of 0.1 μg.kg<jats:sup>−1</jats:sup>.min<jats:sup>−1</jats:sup>; however, it should only be used in the presence of adequate supervision and monitoring of the patient. Administration of bolus doses is not recommended in this setting.</jats:p>