Anesthetic - Intravenous Opioid Analgesic Agents

Intravenous Opioid Analgesic Agents

While opioids can produce unconsciousness, they do so unreliably and with significant side effects. So, while they are rarely used to induce anesthesia, they are frequently used along with other agents such as intravenous non-opioid anesthetics or inhalational anesthetics. Furthermore, they are used to relieve pain of patients before, during, or after surgery. The following opioids have short onset and duration of action and are frequently used during general anesthesia:

• Alfentanil
• Fentanyl
• Remifentanil
• Sufentanil (Not available in the UK)

The following agents have longer onset and duration of action and are frequently used for post-operative pain relief:

• Buprenorphine
• Butorphanol
• Diamorphine, (diacetyl morphine, also known as heroin, not available in U.S.)
• Hydromorphone
• Levorphanol
• Meperidine, also called pethidine in the UK, New Zealand, Australia and other countries
• Methadone
• Morphine
• Nalbuphine
• Oxycodone, (not available intravenously in U.S.)
• Oxymorphone
• Pentazocine