Sufentanil EC50 for endotracheal intubation with aerosol inhalation of carbonated lidocaine by ultrasonic atomizer

Background Nebulized lidocaine reduced stress response for endotracheal intubation. However, the impact of novel lidocaine aerosol inhalation for intubation by ultrasonic atomizer was unclear. Hence, we designed aerosol inhalation of lidocaine by ultrasonic atomizer, to seek whether the dosage of sufentanil for intubation could be less or not. Methods Intravenous injection of sufentanil started at 0.5 μg/kg, and sufentanil dosage was increased/decreased (step-size 0.05 μg/kg for sufentanil) using Dixon’s up and down method. The observation was terminated after 8 reflexes. Results The EC50 and EC95 of sufentanil with lidocaine by ultrasonic atomizer for intubation were found to be 0.232 μg/kg (95% CI: 0.187–0.270 μg/kg) and 0.447 μg/kg (95% CI: 0.364–0.703 μg/kg). 55.88% out of 34 patients showed hemodynamic index change < 20% of baseline during intubation. Conclusion Aerosol inhalation of lidocaine by ultrasonic atomizer reduced the dosage of sufentanil for endotracheal intubation. Lidocaine inhalation by ultrasonic atomizer for airway anesthesia with minimal dosage of sufentanil could be recommended, particularly in patients who need more stable hemodynamic changes or spontaneous respiration. Trial registration Chinese Registry of Central Trial, ChiCTR-IOR-17014198 . Registered 28 December 2017.