title: Priming dose of intravenous rocuronium suppresses fentanyl-induced coughing.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  An intravenous bolus of fentanyl often induces a cough reflex. This study investigates whether priming with rocuronium can effectively attenuate fentanyl-induced coughing.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study involved 260 participants, aged between 18 and 80 years of age, who were undergoing various elective surgeries. They were randomly assigned to two groups. Patients in the study group (the rocuronium group) were treated with intravenous (IV) 0.06 mg/kg rocuronium, whereas those in the control group were treated with the same volume of normal saline. Fentanyl (1.5 μg/kg IV, given over 2 seconds) was administered 30 seconds after the injection of rocuronium or normal saline. We recorded the number of coughs for 1 minute after the fentanyl injection.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients in the rocuronium group showed a significantly lower incidence of coughing (8.5% vs. 23.1%, in the control group; p < 0.05) and a milder severity of cough in comparison with the patients in the control group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Pretreatment with IV rocuronium (0.06 mg/kg) suppressed the cough reflex induced by fentanyl. Therefore, priming with rocuronium may be a clinically useful method for preventing fentanyl-induced cough.
authors: Department of Anesthesiology, Taichung Armed Forces General Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan.
authors: Huei-Chi
authors: HC
authors: Horng
authors: Bo-Feng
authors: BF
authors: Lin
authors: Ting-Chuan
authors: TC
authors: Wang
authors: Shinn-Long
authors: SL
authors: Lin
authors: Wen-Jinn
authors: WJ
authors: Liaw
authors: Hung-Jui
authors: HJ
authors: Wang
authors: Chih-Shung
authors: CS
authors: Wong
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000009:adverse effects*; D000732:Androstanols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003371:Cough / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005260:Female; D005283:Fentanyl / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D003473:Neuromuscular Nondepolarizing Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000077123:Rocuronium
chemical_list: D000701:Analgesics, Opioid; D000732:Androstanols; D003473:Neuromuscular Nondepolarizing Agents; D005283:Fentanyl; D000077123:Rocuronium