Sufentanil

Sufentanil
Systematic (IUPAC) name
N-[4-(methoxymethyl)-1-(2-thiophen-2-ylethyl)-4-piperidyl]-N-phenylpropanamide
Clinical data
Trade names Sufenta
AHFS/Drugs.com monograph
Pregnancy cat.  ?
Legal status  ? (UK) Schedule II (US)
Routes Injection
Pharmacokinetic data
Half-life 265 minutes
Identifiers
CAS number 56030-54-7 Y
ATC code N01AH03
PubChem CID 41693
DrugBank APRD00671
ChemSpider 38043 Y
UNII AFE2YW0IIZ Y
KEGG D05938 Y
ChEBI CHEBI:9316 Y
ChEMBL CHEMBL658 Y
Chemical data
Formula C22H30N2O2S 
Mol. mass 386.552 g/mol
SMILES eMolecules & PubChem
Physical data
Melt. point 97 °C (207 °F)
 N(what is this?)  (verify)

Sufentanil (R-30730, brand name Sufenta) is a powerful synthetic opioid analgesic drug, approximately 5 to 10 times more potent than its analog, fentanyl. Sufentanil is marketed for use by specialist centres under different trade names, such as Sufenta and Sufentil (India, by Claris Lifesciences Ltd.). Sufentanil was synthesized at Janssen Pharmaceutica in 1974.[1]

Contents

Uses

The main use of this medication is in operating suites and critical care where pain relief is required for a short period of time. It also offers properties of sedation and this makes it a good analgesic component of anaesthetic regimen during an operation.[2] It is usually administered under the doctor's order through an intravenous route. In some countries sufentanil is only indicated for epidural use. Despite this, it is often used off-label both intravenously and intranasally. A transdermal sufentanil patch called Transdur-sufentanil is about to enter Stage III clinical trials by Durect Corp for the relief of chronic pain, and has the advantage over fentanyl patches such as Duragesic of only needing to be applied once per week.

Side effects

It is essential for the administering medical professional to be trained in airway management with readily available airway equipment because the drug causes significant respiratory depression and may cause respiratory arrest if given too rapidly or in too high a dose. Other opioid side effects such as heart rhythm irregularity, blood pressure changes and nausea/vomiting can also be present in patients given this drug and should be dealt with accordingly.

See also

References

  1. ^ Niemegeers CJ, Schellekens KH, Van Bever WF, Janssen PA (1976). "Sufentanil, a very potent and extremely safe intravenous morphine-like compound in mice, rats and dogs". Arzneimittel-Forschung 26 (8): 1551–6. PMID 12772. 
  2. ^ Savoia G, Loreto M, Gravino E (September 2001). "Sufentanil: an overview of its use for acute pain management". Minerva Anestesiologica 67 (9 Suppl 1): 206–16. PMID 11778119.