Clinical Investigation of the Analgesic Potency and Respiratory Depressant Activity of Fentanyl, a New Narcotic Analgesic

Abstract

A controlled clinical comparison of fentanyl and morphine in 75 postsurgical patients is presented. The ability of the 2 drugs to produce respiratory depression was determined in 6 healthy volunteers. Fentanyl (0.2 mg intramuscularly) is equianalgesic with 10 mg morphine intramuscularly; there seems to be no advantage in the use of fentanyl for the relief of postsurgical pain.