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The frequency of fentanyl-induced cough in children and its effects on tracheal intubation

Jong In Han1, Heeseung Lee, Chi Hyo Kim

  • 1Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, School of Medicine, Ewha Womans University, Seoul 158-710, South Korea. hanji@ewha.ac.kr <hanji@ewha.ac.kr>

Journal of Clinical Anesthesia
|March 9, 2010
PubMed

Insights

Fentanyl may cause coughing in children undergoing anesthesia. Higher doses of fentanyl (two microg/kg) resulted in more severe coughs and faster onset compared to lower doses (one microg/kg).

Area of Science:

  • Anesthesiology
  • Pediatric Pharmacology

Background:

  • Fentanyl is commonly used for anesthesia induction in pediatric patients.
  • The potential for fentanyl to induce cough and its dose-dependency in children require further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate if fentanyl-induced cough is dose-dependent in pediatric patients.
  • To assess the impact of fentanyl-induced cough on tracheal intubation conditions.

Main Methods:

  • A prospective, randomized, double-blinded study was conducted with 160 pediatric patients (2-14 years).
  • Patients received either one microg/kg or two microg/kg of fentanyl.
  • Cough onset, severity, and intubating conditions were recorded after anesthesia induction.

Main Results:

  • No significant difference in cough frequency or intubating conditions was observed between the two fentanyl dose groups.
  • Cough severity was significantly higher in the two microg/kg fentanyl group compared to the one microg/kg group (P < 0.05).
  • The onset of cough was significantly shorter in the two microg/kg group (12.2 ± 3.4 sec) versus the one microg/kg group (16.9 ± 7.6 sec, P < 0.05).

Conclusions:

  • Fentanyl administration at doses of one and two microg/kg can induce coughing in pediatric patients.
  • The higher dose of fentanyl (two microg/kg) is associated with increased cough severity and faster onset.
  • Fentanyl-induced cough does not appear to significantly impact tracheal intubation conditions in this pediatric population.
Abstract

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