Clinical experience with alfentanil for induction of anaesthesia; a comparison with thiopentone

Alfentanil, a new short-acting narcotic was clinically evaluated as an intravenous anaesthetic induction agent in 19 patients and compared to 20 patients receiving thiopentone. Alfentanil was superior to thiopentone in cardiovascular stability, both during induction of anaesthesia and tracheal intubation. However, alfentanil does not behave like a typical induction agent, time to unconsciousness is longer and more variable and is often accompanied by muscle rigidity. The results of this study suggest that alfentanil is more difficult to use as an induction agent than thiopentone, but alfentanil is recommended for short procedures when haemodynamic stability is important.