[Analgesia with remifentanil in spontaneously breathing patients undergoing brief but painful radiological procedures].
BACKGROUND
Percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage (PTBD) and stenting are very painful procedures in interventional radiology and require potent analgesia; employing remifentanil in spontaneously breathing patients may be one possible strategy.


METHODS
The study group was composed of 18 men and 2 women with a mean age of 63+/-10 (mean+/-SD) years. Pain intensity was measured with a VAS score before the procedure, after local anesthesia on the rib cage, after stenting and after the radiology procedure.


RESULTS
Remifentanil infusion (dosage: 0.12-0.30 microg/kg body weight/min) was infused throughout the entire radiology procedure according to physical status, past medical history, individual pain, and clinical assessment. During insufflation of 10l O(2)/min via a venturi mask, oxygen saturation did not fall below 96% at any time-point during the procedure. In the VAS score, we noted a decrease after starting the remifentanil infusion towards the end of procedure. All patients were able to move into bed without help. Postoperatively, no analgesics and no antiemetics were needed.


CONCLUSIONS
Employing a remifentanil infusion for brief interventional radiology procedures in palliative treatment of patients resulted in high patient and radiologist comfort.
Moser
B
B
Univ.-Klinik für Anästhesie und Allgemeine Intensivmedizin, Medizinische Universität, Innsbruck, Osterreich. Berthold.Moser@uibk.ac.at
von Goedecke
A
A
Chemelli
A
A
Keller
C
C
Voelckel
W
W
Lindner
K H
KH
Wenzel
V
V
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000698:Analgesia; D000701:Analgesics, Opioid; D001659:Biliary Tract / Q000502:physiology; D004322:Drainage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain / Q000517:prevention & control*; D010147:Pain Measurement; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010880:Piperidines; D000077208:Remifentanil; D015607:Stents
D000701:Analgesics, Opioid; D010880:Piperidines; D000077208:Remifentanil