Fentanyl anesthesia and human brain-stem auditory evoked potentials.

The effect of incremental doses of fentanyl on brain-stem auditory evoked potentials (BAEPs) was studied in 10 patients scheduled for elective surgery. Seven sets of BAEPs were recorded in each patient starting the day before surgery, after premedication and after 10 micrograms/kg increments of fentanyl up to 50 micrograms/kg. No significant effect on either absolute or interpeak latencies of wave I, III, and V of evoked potentials was observed.