Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 9, 2026

Assessing Changes in Volatile General Anesthetic Sensitivity of Mice after Local or Systemic Pharmacological Intervention
Published on: October 16, 2013
[Remifentanil-midazolam compared to sufentanil-midazolam for ICU long-term sedation]
C Baillard1, Y Cohen, P Le Toumelin
1Département d'anesthésie-réanimation, CHU de Avicenne, UPRES 39-04, Bobigny 93009, France. christophe.baillard@avc.ap-hop-paris.fr
Objective:
Remifentanil has a unique metabolic pathway that holds potential benefits for long-term sedation. We compared remifentanil-midazolam to sufentanil-midazolam in 41 critically ill adults requiring mechanical ventilation.
Study Design:
Randomized double-blind trial.
Patients And Methods:
Infusion rates were titrated every 4 hours to achieve the desired Ramsay score. Five fold increases in dose requirement was considered as the development of tolerance. Drugs requirement, development of tolerance and weaning time of ventilation were compared.
Results:
The study was stopped after an interim analysis. The remifentanil and sufentanil groups were comparable regarding IGS II: 56+/-22 vs 64+/-26, mean+/-SD, ICU length of stay: 26 (8-45) vs 19 (11-34) days, and sedation duration: 6 (4-19) vs 6 (3-16)days, median [interquartile range, IQR]). There was a shorter weaning time in the remifentanil group as compared to sufentanil group: 22 h (12-53) vs 96 (47-142) h, median [IQR], p=0.04). The daily opioid infusion rate needed to be decreased over time only in sufentanil group, p < 0.001. Tolerance occurred in 6 (30%; CI(95), 10 to 40%) remifentanil and no sufentanil patients (P=0.02).
Conclusion:
Sufentanil infusion needed to be reduced over time and prolonged the weaning time when compared to remifentanil.
More Related Videos
09:36Halogenated Agent Delivery in Porcine Model of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome via an Intensive Care Unit Type Device
Published on: September 24, 2020
03:02Application of Dixon's Up-and-Down Design to Estimate the Minimum Alveolar Concentration of Sevoflurane in Rats with Refined Movement Classification
Published on: July 25, 2025
Related Concept Videos
Opioid Analgesics: Synthetic and Semisynthetic Opioids
Stages of General Anesthesia
Parenteral Anesthetics: Overview
Inhalational Anesthetics: Overview
Sedatives and Hypnotics: Overview
Sedative-hypnotics are categorized into barbiturates, benzodiazepines (BZDs), and non-benzodiazepines or Z-drugs. These drugs work by suppressing central nervous system activity, and this suppression is dose-dependent. Older sedative medications, like barbiturates, follow a linear curve in...
Sedatives and Hypnotics Drugs: Barbiturates