Pharmacokinetics of fentanyl in man and the rabbit

Summary Plasma levels and urinary excretion of³H-fentanyl were studied in 5 human subjects after intravenous injection of this drug. After an initial rapid decline, the plasma level of fentanyl decreased slowly and approximately exponentially. The plasma concentration of metabolites remained almost steady from 1–3 h after injection. More than 60% of the administered radioactivity was excreted through the kidneys within 4 days. Only a small proportion of it was unchanged fentanyl. The rates of fall of plasma concentration and of urinary excretion were slower in man than in rabbits. — The time courses of plasma concentrations and of urinary excretion were simulated on an analogue computer. The results support the assumption that the different time courses of concentrations in man and rabbits are caused by slower metabolism in man. It seems likely that redistribution plays a dominant part in the short duration of action of fentanyl in man.