Oliceridine vs Sufentanil for Cough During Anesthesia Induction

Sufentanil is the most widely used opioid analgesic for general anaesthesia induction; however, rapid intravenous bolus injection frequently triggers sufentanil-induced cough (SIC). In high-risk patients, SIC can cause abrupt elevation of intracranial and intraocular pressure and severe haemodynamic instability, posing a meaningful safety risk during the induction period.

Oliceridine, the first G protein-biased μ-opioid receptor agonist approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2020, provides analgesia through μ-receptor activation while substantially reducing β-arrestin-2 recruitment. This biased signalling profile is hypothesised to raise the excitation threshold of airway C-fibres and thereby reduce the incidence of cough.

This prospective, single-centre, randomised, double-blind, parallel-group controlled trial directly compares oliceridine with sufentanil for general anaesthesia induction with respect to cough incidence, cough severity, haemodynamic responses, and perioperative safety, with the aim of providing evidence-based guidance for opioid selection during induction.