Pulmonary uptake of sufentanil during and after constant rate infusion

• Published in: British journal of anaesthesia : BJA Vol. 76; no. 2; pp. 203 - 208
• Main Authors: Boer, F, Olofsen, E, Bovill, J G, Burm, A G, Hak, A, Geerts, M, Wetselaar, K E
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01-02-1996; Oxford University Press; Oxford Publishing Limited (England)
• Subjects: Analgesics; Anesthetics, Intravenous - administration & dosage; Anesthetics, Intravenous - pharmacokinetics; Biological and medical sciences; Carbon Dioxide - blood; Coronary Artery Bypass; Hemodynamics - drug effects; Humans; Infusions, Intravenous; Lung - metabolism; Medical sciences; Models, Biological; Neuropharmacology; Oxygen - blood; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Pulmonary Artery - metabolism; Smoking - metabolism; Sufentanil - administration & dosage; Sufentanil - pharmacokinetics; Human; Intravenous administration; Perfusion; Lung; Opiates; Intraoperative; Narcotic analgesic; Pharmacokinetics; Uptake
• ISSN: 0007-0912; 1471-6771
• DOI: 10.1093/bja/76.2.203

We have studied the pulmonary uptake of sufentanil in patients during and after a short infusion of the drug. We studied 10 patients undergoing elective coronary artery bypass surgery during anaesthesia with 0.4-0.8% enflurane, before surgery. Sufentanil 50 micrograms min-1 was given over 10 min by a constant rate infusion. During infusion and for 20 min thereafter, blood samples were obtained from the distal port of the pulmonary artery catheter and from a radial artery catheter. Uptake and release of sufentanil into and from the lungs were examined by mass balance and compartmental analyses. At the end of the infusion a mean of 48.9 (SD 18.6)% of the dose was retained in the lungs, and 20 min after infusion retention was 18.4 (22.4)%. Smokers had significantly higher pulmonary retention of sufentanil. The pulmonary volume of distribution of sufentanil, estimated from the two-compartment model, was 20.9 (7.7) litre. We conclude that pulmonary uptake of sufentanil is significant, if the drug is given as an infusion.