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

NCT ID NCT04226495

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.

Disclaimer Read more

This is a summary of the original study . Summaries may miss details or leave out important information. Before applying or accepting participation, make sure you have read and understood the full study. Curemydisease.com takes no responsibility whatsoever for anything missed, misunderstood, or acted upon as a result of our summary — we know it does not capture everything.

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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.

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • University of Nebraska Medical Center

    Omaha, Nebraska, 68198, United States