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Alfentanil as an adjuvant of balanced anaesthesia for tonsillectomy in adults
Author(s) -
Saarnivaara L.,
Klemola U.M.
Publication year - 1987
Publication title -
acta anaesthesiologica scandinavica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.738
H-Index - 107
eISSN - 1399-6576
pISSN - 0001-5172
DOI - 10.1111/j.1399-6576.1987.tb02509.x
Subject(s) - medicine , alfentanil , anesthesia , tonsillectomy , vomiting , fasciculation , intubation , nausea , muscle relaxation , surgery , fentanyl
In a double‐blind study, 80 adult patients, undergoing tonsillectomy, were randomly allocated to one of the four groups: 1) d‐tubocurarine (d‐Tc) 50 μg/kg + alfentanil (Alf) 20 μg/kg, 2) d‐Tc 50 μg/kg + Alf 50 μg/kg, 3) Alf 10 μg/kg + Alf 20 μg/kg, 4) Alf 10 μg/kg + Alf 50 μg/kg. The first drug was given 2 min before thiopental and the second drug 1 min before inserting the mouth gag. Intubation was facilitated with suxamethonium. Anaesthesia was maintained with 70% nitrous oxide in oxygen and peripheral muscle relaxation during operation with vecuronium. For analysis of the induction characteristics, both d‐Tc‐pretreatment groups were treated together and compared with the results of the Alf‐pretreatment groups. Muscle fasciculations occurred in 20% in the d‐Tc group and in 70% in the Alf group. Neither d‐tubocurarine nor alfentanil prevented the cardiovascular intubation response. Cardiovascular responses to the placement of the mouth gag occurred only in the lower‐dose alfentanil groups. ECG changes during operation occurred in 25–45% of the patients. The most common ECG change was junctional rhythm. The operating conditions were good in 65–80% of the patients. The mean recovery score (0–10) ranged from 9.3 to 9.7 between the groups. The incidence of nausea ranged from 20–30% and that of vomiting from 10–25%, between the groups. Bleeding from the operation site occurred in 20–30%, of the patients. None of the patients needed sutures to stop the bleeding.