Sufentanil is a powerful synthetic opioid

Opioid

An opioid is a psychoactive chemical that works by binding to opioid receptors, which are found principally in the central and peripheral nervous system and the gastrointestinal tract...

 analgesic drug

Analgesic

An analgesic is any member of the group of drugs used to relieve pain . The word analgesic derives from Greek an- and algos ....

, approximately 5 to 10 times more potent than its analog, fentanyl. Sufentanil is marketed for use by specialist centres under different trade names, such as Sufenta and Sufentil (India

India

India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

, by Claris Lifesciences Ltd.). Sufentanil was synthesized at Janssen Pharmaceutica

Janssen Pharmaceutica

Janssen Pharmaceutica is pharmaceutical company, established in Belgium in 1953 by Paul Janssen. Its headquarters are located in Beerse, in the Campine region of the province of Antwerp, Belgium. It was created not as a subsidiary of a chemical factory but solely with the aim of conducting...

 in 1974.

Uses

The main use of this medication is in operating suites and critical care where pain relief is required for a short period of time. It also offers properties of sedation and this makes it a good analgesic component of anaesthetic regimen during an operation. It is usually administered under the doctor's order through an intravenous route. In some countries sufentanil is only indicated for epidural

Epidural

The term epidural is often short for epidural analgesia, a form of regional analgesia involving injection of drugs through a catheter placed into the epidural space...

 use. Despite this, it is often used off-label both intravenously and intranasally. A transdermal

Transdermal patch

A transdermal patch is a medicated adhesive patch that is placed on the skin to deliver a specific dose of medication through the skin and into the bloodstream. Often, this promotes healing to an injured area of the body. An advantage of a transdermal drug delivery route over other types of...

 sufentanil patch called Transdur-sufentanil is about to enter Stage III clinical trials by Durect Corp for the relief of chronic pain, and has the advantage over fentanyl patches such as Duragesic

Duragesic

Duragesic and Durogesic are trade names of fentanyl transdermal therapeutic systems, and are used for relief of moderate to severe pain. Since Duragesic/Durogesic release Fentanyl, a potent opioid, slowly through the skin, one patch may provide 72 hours of pain relief...

 of only needing to be applied once per week.

Side effects

It is essential for the administering Medical professional to be trained in airway management

Airway management

In cardiopulmonary resuscitation, anaesthesia, emergency medicine, intensive care medicine and first aid, airway management is the process of ensuring that:# there is an open pathway between a patient’s lungs and the outside world, and...

 with readily available airway equipment because the drug causes significant respiratory depression and may cause respiratory arrest

Respiratory arrest

Respiratory arrest is the cessation of breathing. It is a medical emergency and it usually is related to or coincides with a cardiac arrest. Causes include opiate overdose, head injury, anaesthesia, tetanus, or drowning...

if given too rapidly or in too high a dose. Other opioid side effects such as heart rhythm irregularity, blood pressure changes and nausea/vomiting can also be present in patients given this drug and should be dealt with accordingly by a trained Medical Professional