Efficacy of Two Bolus Doses of Remifentanil on the Incidence of Coughing During Emergence of Anesthesia

Comparison of the Efficacy of Two Bolus Doses of Remifentanil on the Incidence of Coughing During Emergence of Anesthesia.

Status

Completed

Phases

Study type

Interventional

Source

ClinicalTrials.gov

Registry ID

NCT01489072

Enrollment

180

Registered

2011-12-09

Start date

2012-04-30

Completion date

2012-10-31

Last updated

2012-10-29

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Anesthesia, Cough

Brief summary

This study is designed to compare the effects of two bolus doses of intravenous remifentanil given prior to the emergence of anesthesia: * on the incidence of perioperative coughing * on the time needed for the emergence of a desflurane-based anesthesia * on the incidence of sore throat after extubation. The investigators hypothesis is that the use of a higher remifentanil bolus dose (0.5 mcg/kg) given prior to emergence of a desflurane-based anesthesia will reduce the incidence of perioperative coughing when compared to a lower dose of remifentanil (0.25 mcg/kg).

Detailed description

Emergence is an important period of general anesthesia during which several problems can occur. Coughing, hypertension, tachycardia and agitation have been observed during emergence of general anesthesia. Most patients will cough during emergence. Different techniques and drugs have been studied to reduce coughing during emergence. There is some evidence supporting the administration of intravenous opioids prior to emergence of general anesthesia to reduce perioperative coughing, agitation and haemodynamic stimulation. However, depending on the type of opioids given, this may delay the emergence from anesthesia. The effect of a remifentanil infusion given in combination with isoflurane as the volatile agent has been shown to reduce the incidence of perioperative coughing without delaying the emergence of anesthesia. The effect of a small bolus of remifentanil given prior to emergence to prevent perioperative coughing has yet to be studied. Desflurane is a newer volatile agent allowing early recovery from anesthesia. This agent has led to earlier discharge and more rapid resumption of normal activities after surgery. However, an incidence of coughing around 70% has been reported after a desflurane-based anesthesia. This study will compare the effects of two bolus doses of remifentanil (0.25 mcg/kg to 0.5 mcg/kg) when given prior to emergence to prevent perioperative coughing after a desflurane-based anesthesia.

Interventions

DRUGRemifentanil

Bolus dose of intravenous remifentanil 0.25 mcg/kg given once before emergence of general anesthesia

Study design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Intervention model

PARALLEL

Primary purpose

PREVENTION

Masking

DOUBLE (Subject, Outcomes Assessor)

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

ALL

Age

18 Years to 80 Years

Healthy volunteers

Inclusion criteria

* Patients aged 18-80 years * Physical status 1-3 * Patients undergoing elective surgery under general anesthesia requiring endotracheal intubation (excluding head and neck surgery)

Exclusion criteria

* Current use of ACE inhibitors * Chronic cough * Asthma or severe pulmonary disease * Pulmonary tract infection * Anticipated difficult intubation * Current use of opioids * Current use of cough medicine * Contraindication to remifentanil * Pregnancy * Symptomatic cardiac, renal or hepatic disease

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame
Incidence of coughing during emergence and the first ten minutes after extubation	From emergence until 10 minutes after extubation

Secondary

Measure	Time frame
Time elapsed between the bolus dose of remifentanil and extubation	Assessed at emergence of general anesthesia
Incidence of sore throat one hour after extubation	Assessed one hour after extubation

Countries

Canada

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026