A randomized double-blind pilot study to compare conscious sedation produced by diazepam against sufentanil

Intravenous sufentanil, an analog of fentanyl, was compared to diazepam for conscious sedation in ambulatory dental outpatients. Ten patients undergoing the surgical removal of impacted third molars served as subjects in a double-blind, within-subject, single crossover study. Sedation was achieved with a combination of 30% nitrous oxide/70% oxygen by nasal mask and either diazepam (0.05-0.15 mg/kg) or sufentanic (0.05-0.15 μg/kg) titrated to a clinical endpoint of altered speech and relaxation. Intraoperative physiologic monitoring, patients' and the oral surgeon's subjective estimates of efficacy and psychomotor recovery were used to compare the two treatments. Both patients (eight of 10) and surgeons (six of 10) preferred sufentanil sedation. No significant differences were noted between treatments for psychomotor recovery. These preliminary data in a small sample suggest that sufentanil produces adequate conscious sedation in dental outpatients and should be evaluated further with larger patient samples.