The use of nalbuphine in paediatric anaesthesia

Abstract

Nalbuphine is an agonist-antagonist opioid. It causes analgesic and sedative effect and because of ceiling effect it does not cause a respiratory depression. In a perioperative therapy of paediatric patients it may be used for premedication, sedation during diagnostic procedures as well as for postoperative pain treatment. It reverses adverse reactions of other opioids such as itch or urinary retention, not significantly influencing its analgetic properties. After sevoflurane anaesthesia of small children, it reduces the incidences of emergence agitation. Nalbuphine is considered a safe drug, which causes nausea and vomiting less frequently than other opioids. Analgesic effect, the ability to provide moderate sedation and a large margin of safety make that analgesic often used for paediatric patients.