Effects of fentanyl on diaphragm muscle force in patients undergoing knee arthroplasty: a randomised double-blind clinical trial
Authors' conclusion
Fentanyl did not reduce the E range generated by the diaphragm muscle during inspiratory pressure-threshold loading, possibly reflecting relatively low levels of inspiratory loading or the presence of a fentanyl effect even at the lowest dose used (25 μg) in this older patient population.
Study context
- Population
- Adults undergoing elective knee arthroplasty with no pulmonary pathologyrandomised
- Participants
- 69 adults
- Comparison
- Fentanyl 50 or 100 μg vs 25 μg
- 25 μgn = 22reference
- 50 μgn = 22
- 100 μgn = 19
- Primary endpoint
- Change in diaphragm Young's modulus range across levels of inspiratory loading (ΔE range), before randomisation vs post-fentanyl, by shear wave elastography
- Follow-up
- 10 min post-fentanyl
Methodological detailsdouble-blind, single-institution, dose-comparison
- Double-blind
- Single-institution
- Dose-comparison
Primary result
As reported in the abstract
ΔE range
Estimated treatment effect
−0.7
95% CI −9.5 to 8.1
50 μg
Estimated treatment effect
−5.3
95% CI −14.1 to 3.6
100 μg
- No statistically significant effect of fentanyl on ΔE range
- P = 0.432
Original publication
Effects of fentanyl on diaphragm muscle force in patients undergoing knee arthroplasty: a randomised double-blind clinical trial. Br J Anaesth. Published 8 July 2026. doi:10.
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