Cardiovascular effects of minimal analgesic quantities of Innovar, fentanyl, and droperidol in man

In volunteer human subjects not undergoing surgical operations and breathing spontaneously, the cardiovascular effects of Innovar and of its components, fentanyl and droperidol, were determined when the drugs were administered in minimal amounts necessary to reach an analgesic endpoint. This amount was fentanyl 5 mcg./kg. body weight combined with droperidol 0.22 mg./kg. Innovar, or its components when administered separately, produced minimal cardiovascular changes of consequence during the time of maximum analgesia (about 15 minutes). With the passage of time after administration of a single dose of Innovar, there were some changes in cardiac output, heart rate, and stroke volume, probably representing normal changes of sedated sleep. None of the changes, acute or delayed, was clinically significant. Analgesia could be achieved only when fentanyl was combined with droperidol; and although a certain amount of respiratory depression resulted from the combined drugs, the authors concluded that the observed cardiovascular changes probably represented primary drug effects.