Introduction

Name

• BANM

Class of drug

• Analgesics (mu opioid agonist).

Description

Chemical name

• Alfentanil hydrochloride.

Molecular formula

• 4-anilinopipridine analogue.

Physical properties

• Water soluble.
• Lipid soluble
• pKa - 6.8.

Uses

Indications

Analgesia/Profound sedation

• EitherAlone for very short procedures, eg radiotherapy.
  Or used in conjunction with other anesthetics as part of a balanced anesthesia protocol.
• • Augments intraoperative analgesia.
  • Decreases the amount of other anesthetics that must be used.

Ophthalmic anesthesia

• Improved reduction in intraocular pressure compared to fentanyl with similar cardiac stability.
  Potent respiratory depressant. Must have facilities for tracheal intubation and IPPV.

Administration

Pharmacokinetics

Precautions

Interactions

with other drugs

• Reduces MAC of halothane by almost 50%.

Adverse Reactions

Further Reading

Publications

Refereed papers

• Recent references from PubMed and VetMedResource.

Other sources of information

• BSAVA Small Animal Formulary. Ramsey I (2017) 9th edn.
• Clinical Anaesthetic Pharmacology (1991) Eds: Dundee J W, Clarke R S J, McCaughey W. Churchill Livingstone. 
• Martindale: The Extra Pharmacopoeia The London Pharmaceutical Society. 31st edn.