Opioid analgesics for sedation-based gastrointestinal endoscopy

Gastrointestinal endoscopy is a common examination for digestive system. The stimulation of endoscope often causes cough, nausea and vomiting, increased heart rate and blood pressure, arrhythmia, and even cardiovascular and cerebrovascular accidents, thus makes people fear of this procedure. Sedation or anesthesia can effectively improve the safety, comfort and quality of gastrointestinal endoscopy. A small dose of opioids is a good adjuvant to sedatives. In this narrative review, we summarized the main roles of opioid analgesics in gastrointestinal endoscopy, including reducing visceral pain, throat irritation and the dose of sedatives. Moreover, the frequently used and novel opioids are reviewed. Classic fentanyl, sufentanil and dezocine are preferable by anesthesiologists. Newly approved oliceridine is promising to render ideal analgesic effects for gastrointestinal endoscopy. Clinical studies on oliceridine in endoscopic procedures are urgently needed.