Saturday March 28, 2009


Q: What is the optimum time to give Fentanyl before intubation to attenuate circulatory responses to laryngoscopy and tracheal intubation?




Answer: About 5 minutes

Laryngoscopy and tracheal intubation are usually accompanied by increases in arterial blood pressure and Heart Rate. Various methods have been suggested to attenuate these responses, including a beneficial effect of fentanyl.

Fentanyl, at a dose of 2 mcg/kg given 5 minutes before intubation, most effectively attenuated the increases in all four circulatory variables (Heart Rate, Systolic Arterial Pressure, Diastolic Arterial Pressure, and Mean Arterial Pressure).



Reference: click to get abstract

Small-Dose Fentanyl: Optimal Time of Injection for Blunting the Circulatory Responsesto Tracheal Intubation - Anesth Analg 1998;86:658-61