Steady drip vs. shots: which helps heart surgery patients wake up faster?

NCT ID NCT04226495

Completed Symptom relief Sponsor: University of Nebraska Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

First seen Jun 24, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This study tested whether giving the pain medicine sufentanil as a continuous drip during heart surgery helps patients wake up and leave the ICU sooner compared to giving it as single shots. 65 adults having planned heart surgery took part. The goal was to see if the drip method could reduce time on the breathing tube by at least 60 minutes.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance: Sufentanil
What this could lead to: If the infusion method works better, it could help patients wake up faster after heart surgery and shorten their time in the ICU.
What could go wrong: This is a small, single-center study with only 65 people, so results may not apply to everyone. The difference between the two methods might be small or not meaningful.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Get updates

Get notified about this study

Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for ANESTHESIA are added.

Our safety recommendation!

By submitting, you agree to our Terms of use

Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

aortic valve stenosis coronary artery disorder

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

ANESTHESIA

Contacts and locations

Locations

University of Nebraska Medical Center

Omaha, Nebraska, 68198, United States

More trials for these conditions

Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.