Sufentanil

Sufentanil

Sufentanil is a synthetic opioid analgesic drug that is approximately 5 to 10 times more potent than its parent drug, fentanyl, and 500 times as potent as morphine. It is used in surgery for pain relief and as an adjunct to general anesthesia.

Pharmacology

Sufentanil interacts predominantly with the mu-opioid receptor. These mu-binding sites are discretely distributed in the human brain, with high densities in the posterior amygdala, hypothalamus, thalamic nucleus, caudate nucleus, putamen and certain cortical areas. They are also found on the terminal axons of primary afferents within laminae I and II (substantia gelatinosa) of the spinal cord and in the spinal nucleus of the trigeminal nerve.

Medical uses

Sufentanil is used clinically for procedures requiring profound analgesia. It is used in a variety of surgical procedures, including cardiac surgery and major orthopedic surgery. It is also used in the management of chronic pain.

Side effects

Common side effects of sufentanil include respiratory depression, bradycardia, orthostatic hypotension, and urinary retention. Less common side effects include bradycardia, tachycardia, hypertension, hypotension, nausea, vomiting, and pruritus.

History

Sufentanil was first synthesized in the late 1970s by scientists at Janssen Pharmaceutica.

See also

• Opioid
• Fentanyl
• Morphine
• Janssen Pharmaceutica