title: Fentanyl-induced coughing and airway hyperresponsiveness.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The tussive effect of fentanyl, in sharp contrast to the antitussive effect that common opioids have, is not rarely seen in clinical anesthesia. Pretreatment with beta 2 agonist inhalation could dramatically suppress fentanyl-induced coughing. We hypothesized that airway hyperresponsiveness might exist in large proportion of the subjects who had experienced fentanyl-induced coughing during previous anesthesia.
  
  
  METHODS
  We designed a case-controlled matching study to investigate the correlation between fentanyl-induced coughing and airway hyperresponsiveness. Twenty-six consecutive subjects (ASA I-III), who experienced fentanyl-induced coughing during anesthesia in our hospital from 1999 to 2000, were enrolled in this study as the fentanyl-cough group. In all the subjects baseline spirometry was first obtained. Airway responsiveness was evaluated with either PC20 of methacholine challenge test or bronchodilator test. After matching age and sex, another 26 subjects without history of fentanyl-induced coughing during previous anesthesia were also enrolled in the study as the control group.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The proportion of airway hyperresponsiveness in fentanyl-cough group and control group was 30.77% and 19.23% respectively. After pairing of these two groups, McNemar test revealed no significant difference in the proportion of airway hyperresponsiveness between these two groups (P = 0.257).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  From the analysis of the present study, we cannot prove that there is a direct correlation between fentanyl-induced coughing and airway hyperresponsiveness.
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Therapy, Biostatistics Task Force and Information Services Center, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, No 201, Section 2, Shih-Pai Road, Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C.
authors.forename: Chih-Hsiang
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Tsou
authors.forename: Hsiang-Ning
authors.initials: HN
authors.lastname: Luk
authors.forename: Shu-Chiung
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Chiang
authors.forename: Shih-Tai
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Hsin
authors.forename: Jia-Horng
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000009:adverse effects*; D000806:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000009:adverse effects; D016535:Bronchial Hyperreactivity / Q000139:chemically induced*; D016084:Bronchoconstriction / Q000502:physiology; D003371:Cough / Q000139:chemically induced*; D005260:Female; D005283:Fentanyl / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016210:Methacholine Chloride / Q000494:pharmacology; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D000701:Analgesics, Opioid; D000806:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors; D016210:Methacholine Chloride; D005283:Fentanyl