Comparison of morphine, meperidine, fentanyl, and sufentanil in balanced anesthesia: a double-blind study.

A double-blind study comparing four narcotic analgesics of different potencies, meperidine, morphine, fentanyl, and sufentanil, was performed on consenting patients undergoing general or orthopedic surgery under balanced anesthesia. Blood pressure, measured through an indwelling arterial catheter, was recorded continuously, as were ECG and heart rates. The narcotics, made up in equipotent concentrations, were given as indicated by hemodynamic and clinical signs.