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Sufentanil Side Effects

The most commonly reported side effects of sufentanil include anaphylactic shock, hypotension, and anaphylactic reaction, based on 7,700 FDA adverse event reports from 2004 to 2025. 3.9% of reports found the drug to be ineffective.

Sufentanil side effects

Percentages show how often each reaction appears relative to total reports for sufentanil.

1
Anaphylactic Shock13.0%1,000
2
Hypotension7.1%550
3
Anaphylactic Reaction4.3%334
4
Drug Ineffective3.9%297
5
Tachycardia3.2%243
6
Off Label Use3.1%235
7
Cardiac Arrest2.6%200
8
Anaphylactic Shock2.5%190
9
Bronchospasm2.3%178
10
Rash2.2%169
11
Drug Interaction2.0%156
12
Erythema2.0%156
13
Exposure During Pregnancy2.0%154
14
Hypotension1.9%149
15
Renal Failure1.9%148

These are voluntary reports and do not establish that sufentanil caused these reactions.

Report severity

98.3%Serious7,567 reports
43.1%Hospitalizations3,318 reports
11.3%Fatal872 reports

Seriousness is determined by the reporter, not by OpenClaim.

Sufentanil drug interactions

Other drugs that appear in adverse event reports alongside sufentanil. Drugs flagged as a suspected cause appear in the first column. Drugs taken at the same time but not suspected appear in the second.

Also suspected

1
Propofol47.0%3,622
2
Ketamine-hydrochloride19.0%1,463
3
Midazolam16.8%1,291
4
Dexamethasone13.7%1,057
5
Atracurium-besylate13.3%1,025
6
Cisatracurium-besylate11.5%884
7
Lidocaine11.2%860
8
Acetaminophen11.0%846
9
Cefazolin-sodium10.7%823
10
Rocuronium-bromide10.1%779
11
Sevoflurane8.1%626
12
Epinephrine7.8%604
13
Ropivacaine-hydrochloride7.0%541
14
Apomorphine-hydrochloride6.7%515
15
Bupivacaine6.1%471

Taken alongside

1
Propofol17.5%1,344
2
Midazolam11.8%912
3
Epinephrine7.6%584
4
Acetaminophen7.4%568
5
Heparin6.2%475
6
Furosemide5.3%408
7
Pantoprazole-sodium4.5%350
8
Lidocaine4.4%341
9
Enoxaparin-sodium4.4%339
10
Ketamine-hydrochloride4.3%332
11
Cisatracurium-besylate3.9%299
12
Insulin3.8%296
13
Rocuronium-bromide3.8%290
14
Dexamethasone3.4%262
15
Sevoflurane3.1%240

Co-occurrence in adverse event reports does not establish a drug interaction. Patients often take multiple medications, and these lists reflect prescribing patterns rather than causal relationships. Consult a healthcare provider about potential drug interactions.

Who reports sufentanil side effects

51.5% of sufentanil adverse event reports involve female patients and 41.2% involve male patients. The largest age group is adult at 63%. These figures reflect who reports side effects, not underlying risk.

Sex

Female51.5%
Male41.2%
Unknown7.3%

Age group

< 23.3%
2–112.4%
12–174.0%
18–6463.3%
65+27.0%

What is sufentanil used for

Conditions and purposes for which patients were taking sufentanil when the adverse event was reported.

Abortion InducedAcute Respiratory Distress SyndromeAdjuvant TherapyAgitationAnaesthesiaAnaesthesia ProcedureAnaesthetic ComplicationAnalgesiaAnalgesic EffectAnalgesic Intervention Supportive TherapyAnalgesic TherapyAnesthesiaAnkylosing SpondylitisAntibiotic ProphylaxisAppendicectomy

Showing 15 of 272 indications

Sufentanil brand names and reporting trend

Sufentanil is sold under the brand name Sufentanil Citrate.

Brand names

Sufentanil Citrate8,490

Quarterly reports (20042025)

20052010201520202025

An upward trend reflects increased FAERS reporting overall, not necessarily increased risk.

Taking sufentanil with another medication?

Ask OpenClaim about your specific drug combination. Get a sourced report using FDA data, drug labels, and medical literature.