A randomized, open, parallel group, multicenter trial to investigate analgesic efficacy and safety of a new transdermal fentanyl patch compared to standard opioid treatment in cancer pain.

A new 72-hour transdermal fentanyl matrix patch has been designed, which has a 35%-50% reduction of the absolute fentanyl content compared with other currently available transdermal fentanyl patches that are using the matrix technology. The new patch has previously been shown to be pharmacokinetically bioequivalent to the marketed fentanyl patch. To determine noninferiority in efficacy in cancer patients and to compare safety, a clinical trial comparing the new fentanyl patch with standard oral or transdermal opioid treatment was planned.

Environmental monitoring of sevoflurane and nitrous oxide using the cuffed oropharyngeal airway.

Unlabelled: We compared exposure to sevoflurane (SEV) and nitrous oxide (N(2)O) during ventilation using the cuffed oropharyngeal airway (COPA) with waste gas exposure using a conventional face mask (FM) without any additional airways or face straps and with the laryngeal mask airway (LMA). Trace concentrations of SEV and N(2)O were assessed by using a direct reading spectrometer during 33 surgical procedures under general anesthesia. Measurements were made at the patients' mouths and in the anesthesiologists' breathing zones.

The absence of acute tolerance during remifentanil infusion in volunteers.

Unlabelled: The development of acute opioid tolerance in humans remains controversial. We tested the hypothesis that continuous remifentanil infusion leads to rapid development of opioid tolerance. Twenty healthy male volunteers were enrolled onto a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blinded, cross-over design study to receive a 3 h continuous infusion of remifentanil (0.