[Buprenorphine (Temgesic) as a peroperative analgesic. A multicenter study]

Using buprenorphine as sole intravenous analgesic in balanced anaesthesia, we tried to find the most suitable dose of buprenorphine, and compared it to fentanyl, regarding analgetic, circulatory and side effects. Initial doses of 5, 10 and 15 micrograms/kg buprenorphine and 10 micrograms/kg fentanyl were compared. Peroperative analgesia was adequate with both drugs and neither gave circulatory effects of clinical significance. After buprenorphine three of 60 patients and after fentanyl five of 11 patients were given naloxone. Nausea was more common after buprenorphine. Postoperative analgesia after the last dose of buprenorphine averaged 13 h, highly significantly longer than the 2 h after fentanyl. The overall course was considered good in 93% of buprenorphine and 100% of fentanyl cases. Buprenorphine doses are discussed.