Sufentanil preserves hemodynamics and left ventricular function in patients with ischemic heart disease

Objective: Sufentanil has been reported to provide stable hemodynamics similar to other opioids. However, it has not been reliably established whether this stability can be attributed only to Sufentanil and translates into fully preserved left ventricular (LV) function. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of Sufentanil on hemodynamics and LV systolic and diastolic function using invasive monitoring and echocardiography in patients with ischemic heart disease. Methods: Prospective observational study of thirty patients acting as their own control undergoing echocardiographic imaging before and after bolus Sufentanil 1.5-2.0 mu g/kg. Full invasive hemodynamic monitoring was established before Sufentanil administration. Global LV systolic function was evaluated with a global longitudinal peak systolic strain (GLPSS) by speckle tracking ultrasound; systolic displacement by tissue tracking (TT) and diastolic function was evaluated using Doppler tissue imaging and pulse wave Doppler. Results: Hemodynamic monitoring showed a minor decline in systolic blood pressure from 159 to 154 mmHg (P - 0.046). No changes were observed in the cardiac index, stroke volume index and heart rate. An unchanged TT score index (9.9 vs. 10.2 mm, P = 0.428) and GLPSS (14.3 vs. 14.5%, P = 0.658) indicated preserved LV global systolic function and unchanged E'/A' (0.95 vs. 0.89, P = 0.110) and E/E' ratio (15.4 vs. 14.9, P = 0.612) indicated unchanged diastolic function. Conclusion: Sufentanil preserves hemodynamic parameters as well as echocardiographic indices of LV systolic and diastolic function in patients with ischemic heart disease (IHD).