Efficacy and safety of intravenous sufentanil administration in low-severity acute trauma as a competence of paramedics: a follow-up observational study.

Background and importance: In the Czech Republic, paramedics are required to consult a physician before administering intravenous opioids, which may delay effective prehospital pain management. As paramedic competencies expand in Europe, it is important to evaluate the safety and efficacy of indepen...

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Publicado en:European Journal of Trauma & Emergency Surgery Vol. 51; no. 1; pp. 1 - 8
Autores principales: Sykora, Roman, Kukackova, Nikola, Sopko, Ondrej, Peran, David, Smetana, Jiri, Renza, Metodej, Kukacka, Milos
Formato: research tables/charts Journal Article
Publicado: Springer Nature 9/9/2025
Acceso en línea:Ver este registro en EBSCOhost
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      pub: Springer Nature
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        atl: Efficacy and safety of intravenous sufentanil administration in low-severity acute trauma as a competence of paramedics: a follow-up observational study.
      aug:
        au:
          Sykora, Roman
          Kukackova, Nikola
          Sopko, Ondrej
          Peran, David
          Smetana, Jiri
          Renza, Metodej
          Kukacka, Milos
        affil: https://ror.org/024d6js02 Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care, Third Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and FNKV University Hospital, Prague, Czech Republic
      sug:
        subj:
          Pain Drug Therapy
          Sufentanil Administration and Dosage
          Sufentanil Adverse Effects
          Administration, Intravenous
          Drug Efficacy
          Patient Safety
          Severity of Injury
          Paramedics Psychosocial Factors
          Professional Competence
          Professional Role
          Prehospital Care
          Human
          Male
          Female
          Adult
          Middle Age
          Aged
          Aged, 80 and Over
          Czech Republic
          Emergency Patients
          Prospective Studies
          Nonexperimental Studies
          Comparative Studies
          Electronic Health Records
          Emergency Medical Services
          Analgesics, Opioid Administration and Dosage
          Scales
          Respiration Disorders
          Nausea
          Vomiting
          Hypotension
          Pain Measurement
          Data Analysis Software
          Descriptive Statistics
          T-Tests
          Chi Square Test
          Fisher's Exact Test
          Documentation
          Adult: 19-44 years
          Middle Aged: 45-64 years
          Aged: 65+ years
          Aged, 80 & over
          Male
          Female
      ab: Background and importance: In the Czech Republic, paramedics are required to consult a physician before administering intravenous opioids, which may delay effective prehospital pain management. As paramedic competencies expand in Europe, it is important to evaluate the safety and efficacy of independent opioid administration in prehospital emergency care settings. Objectives: To assess the safety and effectiveness of intravenous sufentanil administered independently by trained paramedics compared to administration following remote physician consultation in adult trauma patients. Design: Prospective, single-center, observational cohort study. Settings and participants: Conducted at the Emergency Medical Services of the Karlovy Vary Region between January 1 and December 31, 2024. The study included 462 adult trauma patients who were hemodynamically stable and conscious. Patients were divided into two groups: the Consultation group (physician consultation required) and the Competency group (paramedics administering independently). Intervention or exposure: Intravenous administration of sufentanil, with or without physician phone consultation. Outcome measures and analysis: Primary outcomes included reduction in pain (measured using the Numeric Rating Scale, NRS) and incidence of adverse events (e.g., respiratory depression, oxygen desaturation, hypotension, and antiemetic use). Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. Main results: Both groups achieved similar pain reduction. The Competency group received a higher mean dose of sufentanil (9.7 ± 3.0 µg vs. 8.9 ± 2.8 µg; p = 0.006) and more frequently used non-opioid adjuvant analgesics (54% vs. 41%). Documentation of pain scores was significantly better in the Competency group (87% vs. 43%; p < 0.01). Adverse events were rare, non-serious, and comparable between groups. Antiemetics were more frequently administered in the Competency group (11% vs. 6%; p = 0.037). A minor, clinically insignificant reduction in diastolic blood pressure was observed in the Competency group. Conclusion: Intravenous sufentanil administered independently by trained paramedics in adult patients with lower severity trauma demonstrated safety and effectiveness comparable to administration following remote physician consultation, along with improved documentation and increased use of multimodal analgesia. Although this was a monocentric study, these observations may contribute to ongoing discussions about expanding paramedic competencies in opioid analgesia within the Czech prehospital emergency system.
      pubtype: Academic Journal
      doctype:
        research
        tables/charts
        Journal Article
      ougenre: Article
    language: English
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