The ED95 of Nalbuphine in Outpatient-Induced Abortion Compared to Equivalent Sufentanil

Abstract

This prospective study evaluated the 95% effective dose (ED95) of nalbuphine in inhibiting body movement during outpatient-induced abortion and its clinical efficacy versus the equivalent of sufentanil. The study was divided into two parts. For the first part, voluntary first-trimester patients who needed induced abortions were recruited to measure the ED95 of nalbuphine in inhibiting body movement during induced abortion using the sequential method (the Dixon up-and-down method). In the second part, this was a double-blind, randomized study. Sixty cases of first-trimester patients were recruited and were randomly divided into two groups (n = 30), including group N (nalbuphine at the ED95 dose) and group S (sufentanil at an equivalent dose). Propofol was given to both groups as the sedative. The circulation, respiration and body movement of the two groups in surgery were observed. The amount of propofol, the awakening time, the time to leave the hospital and the analgesic effect were recorded. The ED95 of nalbuphine in inhibiting body movement during painless surgical abortion was 0.128 mg/kg (95% confidence intervals 0.098–0.483 mg/kg). Both nalbuphine and the equivalent dose of sufentanil provided a good intraoperative and post-operative analgesic effect in outpatient-induced abortion. However, the post-operative morbidity of dizziness for nalbuphine was less than for sufentanil (p < 0.05), and the awakening time and the time to leave the hospital were significantly shorter than those of sufentanil (p < 0.05). Nalbuphine at 0.128 mg/kg was used in outpatient-induced abortion as an intraoperative and post-operative analgesic and showed a better effect compared with sufentanil.