Efficacy and safety of remifentanil for analgesia in cesarean delivery

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of remifentanil as a general anesthetic during cesarean delivery. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Fifty women with singleton pregnancies undergoing cesarean delivery were randomly divided into intervention and control groups, each group containing 25 subjects. Participants in the intervention group received remifentanil (infused at 2 μg/kg/h), whereas subjects in the control group were given dexmedetomidine (infused at 0.4 μg/kg/h). Outcome measurements included mean arterial blood pressure (MAP), heart rate (HR), bispectral index (BIS), Apgar scores at 1 and 5 minutes, and the pH, PCO(2), PO(2), and base excess (BE) of umbilical venous and arterial blood. RESULTS: Forty-four participants completed the study. Patients in the intervention group did not experience greater effect and safety than those in the control group (P > .05), although MAP and BIS values decreased significantly immediately before laryngoscopy (P < .05). In addition, BIS values were reduced significantly at the time of skin incision, at uterine incision, and immediately after fetal delivery when compared with baseline values in both groups (P < .01). CONCLUSION: This study concluded that remifentanil and dexmedetomidine exhibited similar efficacy and safety during general anesthesia for cesarean delivery.