Publication details
Remifentanil in Real Clinical Conditions: Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde?
| Authors | |
|---|---|
| Year of publication | 2016 |
| Type | Article in Periodical |
| Magazine / Source | Current medical research and opinion |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Web | http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/03007995.2016.1226164 |
| Doi | http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/03007995.2016.1226164 |
| Field | Other medical specializations |
| Keywords | remifentnail; obstetric analgesia; opioid-induced hyperalgesia |
| Description | It appears that, like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde in the famous story by Robert Louis Stevenson, remifentanil in real clinical settings has two faces. While it is undoubtedly a potent and well controllable opioid agonist with unique pharmacokinetics and wide clinical application, on the other hand, perhaps no other opioid is as much associated with opioid-induced hyperalgesia (OIH), that is, initial analgesic effects that are followed by increased sensitivity to pain/reduced pain thresholds. Given the methodological variability of published studies, there is a need for more research including the contribution of remifentanil induced hyperalgesia to chronic pain and the role of pharmacological modulation to reverse this process. But the real clinically preferred examples of remifentanil use imply that the adverse effects can be maintained under control and therefore remifentanil does not have to follow the tragic fate of Stevenson’s story in the future. |