# Comparison of pre-treatment with different diluted sufentanil in reducing propofol injection pain in gastrointestinal endoscopy: A randomized controlled study

## TL;DR

This study found that pre-treatment with 1 µg/mL sufentanil effectively reduces propofol injection pain during gastrointestinal endoscopy without prolonging recovery time or increasing side effects.

## Contribution

The study introduces 1 µg/mL sufentanil as a safe and effective pre-treatment for propofol injection pain in gastrointestinal endoscopy.

## Key findings

- The 1 µg/mL sufentanil group showed the highest pain relief rate without prolonged recovery time.
- The 1 µg/mL group had the lowest propofol consumption and fewer adverse events compared to higher concentrations.
- Higher sufentanil concentrations (5 µg/mL) increased the risk of adverse events.

## Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of pre-treatment with different concentrations of sufentanil in mitigating propofol injection-induced pain.

This study included 421 patients who were scheduled for gastrointestinal endoscopy between June 2023 and December 2024. Participants were randomly assigned to one of the four groups with different concentrations sufentanil: 0 µg/mL group(0.9% normal saline), 0.5 µg/mL group, 1 µg/mL group and 5 µg/mL group.

Among the four groups, the rates of pain relief were 82 (77.4%), 93 (89.4%), 96 (89.7%), and 91 (87.5%), respectively. Compared to the 0 µg/mL group, the other groups demonstrated significantly reduced pain following propofol injection (p < 0.05). The recovery times were 14.59 ± 3.92 min, 15.13 ± 3.20 min, 14.27 ± 3.06 min, and 15.57 ± 3.24 min, respectively. Notably, the 1 µg/mL group did not exhibit a prolonged recovery time compared to the 0 µg/mL group. The total propofol consumption was recorded as 218.5 ± 36.8 mg, 196.7 ± 31.0 mg, 183.8 ± 25.0 mg, and 189.6 ± 31.4 mg, respectively, with the 1 µg/mL group showing the lowest total propofol consumption among the groups. The incidences of adverse events (AEs) were 61.3%, 70.2%, 58.9%, and 76.9%, respectively. In comparison to the 1 µg/mL group, the 5 µg/mL group exhibited a higher incidence of AEs. Furthermore, multivariate analysis indicated that a 5 µg/mL dilution of sufentanil increases the risk of AEs (p < 0.05).

The 1 µg/mL group demonstrated greater safety and efficacy when combined with propofol.

The study has been registered in the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR). Link of the registry: http://www.chictr.org.cn. Date of registration: 2023/06/12. Trial registration number: ChiCTR2300072402.