Understanding Anesthesiology - The Global Regional Anesthesia ...

Opioids
Opioids are used to provide analgesia and act through agonism at the mu opiate receptor.
Opioids can be administered by almost any route. The common routes of administration in
anesthetic practice are intravenous, epidural and intrathecal. In addition, oral opiates are often
used as adjuncts along with patient-controlled analgesia (PCA).
For intravenous use, the synthetic opioids fentanyl, sufentanil and remifentanil are commonly
used in modern anesthesia care. Morphine and hydromophone are also used, most
commonly for post-operative analgesia.
The most important side effect of opioids is their effect on the respiratory centre, the medulla
oblongota. Opioids depress the drive to breath by raising the apneic threshold for carbon
dioxide. The effects of opioids can be reversed with naloxone.
Opioids are a major cause of post-operative nausea and vomiting.
Related Glossary Terms
Aldrete score, Alfentanil, Analgesia, Antiemetic agents, Apneic threshold, Balanced anesthesia,
Cough reflex, Fentanyl, Fibreoptic bronchoscope, Four A’s of anesthesia, Meperidine,
Morphine Sulfate, Naloxone, Neonatal depression, Neonatal opioid depression, Ondansetron,
Patient controlled analgesia, Re-narcotization, Remifentanil, Sufentanil
Index
Find Term
Chapter 3 - Anesthetic Techniques
Chapter 3 - General Anesthesia
Chapter 3 - General Anesthesia
Chapter 3 - General Anesthesia
Chapter 4 - Recovery
Chapter 5 - Obstetrical Anesthesia
Chapter 6 - Opioid agonists and antagonists
Chapter 6 - Opioid agonists and antagonists
Chapter 6 - Opioid agonists and antagonists
Chapter 6 - Opioid agonists and antagonists
Chapter 6 - Opioid agonists and antagonists
Chapter 6 - Opioid agonists and antagonists
Chapter 6 - Opioid agonists and antagonists