Reduced Sufentanil Doses are Effective for Postoperative Analgesia After Ductal Closure in Extremely Premature Infants: A 10 Years Retrospective Cohort Study.

OBJECTIVES

The objective of the study was to assess the efficacy of reduced sufentanil doses for postoperative analgesia following surgical ductal closure in extremely premature infants.

METHODS

This was a retrospective, single-center, cohort study comparing 2 sufentanil dosing regimens used between 2001 and 2010 and included all infants born at <28 weeks of gestation with surgical ductal closure. Sufentanil doses were reduced in 2007 as a standard of care. Time was divided into 3 epochs to distinguish the effects of practice changes over time from the effects of sufentanil dose change: epoch 1 (2001 to 2004), epoch 2 (May 2005 to 2007), and epoch 3 (June 2007 to 2010).

RESULTS

A total of 109 of 114 eligible infants were analyzed (mean [±SD], gestational age: 25.1 [±1.1] wk; mean [±SD], birth weight: 756 [±144] g). Median sufentanil doses were significantly higher during epochs 1 and 2 (0.1 to 0.2 µg/kg/h) than during epoch 3 (0.03 to 0.04 µg/kg/h) (P<0.0001). EDIN (Echelle de Douleur et d'Inconfort du Nouveau-né) pain scores were mostly ≤4 throughout the study period and their changes over time were not contemporaneous with the reduction in sufentanil doses; they were lower during epoch 1 versus epochs 2 and 3 (P<0.0001) and comparable between epochs 2 and 3. Midazolam doses and paracetamol use were not higher during epoch 3 as compared with epochs 1 and 2. No difference in opioid-related adverse events was observed between the 3 epochs.

CONCLUSION

Our study supports the use of low continuous intravenous sufentanil doses, consistent with morphine doses currently recommended in this population.