Review of the efficacy and safety of remifentanil for the prevention and treatment of pain during and after procedures and surgery

Remifentanil is an ultrashort-acting synthetic opioid. It is metabolized by nonspecific tissue and plasma esterases. Remifentanil's metabolism is responsible for its unique pharmacokinetic profile and flat, context-sensitive half-time. Since its introduction into clinical practice, remifentanil...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Local and regional anesthesia 2010-01, Vol.3, p.35-43
Main Authors: Sivak, Erica L, Davis, Peter J
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Review
Citations: Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Remifentanil is an ultrashort-acting synthetic opioid. It is metabolized by nonspecific tissue and plasma esterases. Remifentanil's metabolism is responsible for its unique pharmacokinetic profile and flat, context-sensitive half-time. Since its introduction into clinical practice, remifentanil has been used for a variety of anesthetic and analgesic applications; however, concerns regarding a potential for rapid induction of tolerance and/or induced hyperalgesia, coupled with an ultrarapid offset of effect, make the drug less than optimal for use in the pharmacologic management of pain.
ISSN:1178-7112
1178-7112
DOI:10.2147/LRA.S7709