sufentanil + ketamine

Sufentanil + ketamine is a combination of two small molecule drugs used primarily for procedural sedation and analgesia, especially in perioperative or acute pain settings. Sufentanil is a potent synthetic opioid analgesic that acts as a selective agonist at the µ-opioid receptor, providing strong analgesia and sedation. Ketamine is a dissociative anesthetic that functions mainly as an antagonist of the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor, resulting in profound analgesia, amnesia, and maintenance of airway reflexes. When combined, these agents offer synergistic effects for pain control while potentially reducing the required doses of each drug and minimizing their respective side effects. This combination has been studied for use in patient-controlled intravenous analgesia (PCIA), procedural sedation (including intranasal administration), postoperative pain management, and emergency medicine[3][5][10]. The combination may reduce opioid requirements and lower the incidence of adverse events such as nausea or respiratory depression compared to higher doses of opioids alone.

Other names

sufentanil and ketaminesufentanil plus ketamine