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Medical AI Inquiry: You was designed to assist in medical decision-making based on the provided user questions. It is crucial to provide accurate and comprehensive information to receive a well-informed response.  Labels: OBJECTIVE, METHODS, RESULTS. Meshes: Adult, Analgesia, Analgesics, Opioid, Anesthesia Recovery Period, Brain, Canada, Craniotomy, Double-Blind Method, Drug Therapy, Combination, Female, Fentanyl, Hemodynamics, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Morphine, Piperidines, Prospective Studies, Remifentanil, Supratentorial Neoplasms, Treatment Outcome.
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Does remifentanil with morphine transitional analgesia shorten neurological recovery compared to fentanyl for supratentorial craniotomy? Context: To compare the recovery profiles, efficacy and safety of remifentanil and morphine for transitional analgesia with fentanyl in patients undergoing elective craniotomy for supratentorial mass lesions. Ninety-one patients were enrolled in this prospective, randomized, multicentre study. Anesthesia was induced with thiopental and remifentanil (1.0 micro g x kg(-1) bolus and a 1 micro g x kg(-1) x min(-1) infusion) or fentanyl (1 micro g x kg(-1) bolus and a 1.0 micro g x kg(-1) x min(-1) infusion). The opioid infusion continued until the level of anesthesia was deemed appropriate for intubation. Anesthesia was maintained with N(2)O/O(2), isoflurane 0.5 MAC and remifentanil 0.2 micro g x kg(-1) x min(-1) or fentanyl 0.04 micro g x kg(-1) x min(-1). At bone flap replacement, either morphine 0.08 mg x kg(-1) (remifentanil group) or saline (fentanyl group) was given. Systolic blood pressure was greater in those receiving fentanyl during induction (145.6 +/-17.5 mmHg vs 128.8 +/-18.3 mmHg; P = 0.006) and intubation (126.9 +/-17.1 vs 110.9 +/-16.5 mmHg; P < 0.001). Median time to tracheal extubation was similar but less variable in the remifentanil group (remifentanil = 8 min: range = 2-44 min; fentanyl = 8 min: range = 1-732 min). The fentanyl patients required a longer time to achieve the first normal neurological score (fentanyl = 38.0 min; remifentanil = 26.0 min; P = 0.035). Both the anesthesiologists and the recovery room nurses rated remifentanil better with respect to level of consciousness. Analgesics were required earlier in patients receiving remifentanil; median time 0.5 vs 1.08 hr, P < 0.001.
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Remifentanil is a suitable alternative to fentanyl in supratentorial craniotomy. Time to preoperative neurological recovery is faster and morphine provides some transitional analgesia without compromising the quality of recovery. Final Decision: yes