Remifentanil peak effect occurs at approximately

Remifentanil peak effect occurs at approximately

• A. 30 seconds
• B. 1 minute
• C. 2 minutes
• D. 5 minutes

Answer: (B)

Remifentanil is an ultra-short-acting μ-opioid agonist, so its effects appear very quickly after IV dosing. The peak effect occurs about one minute after administration because the drug rapidly crosses into the central nervous system and engages opioid receptors, producing anesthesia-relevant effects almost immediately. Its very fast onset is matched by rapid metabolic inactivation by nonspecific esterases in blood and tissues, which means the duration is short and offset is predictable. This combination of rapid CNS penetration and rapid metabolism explains why the peak effect is around one minute rather than sooner or later.

Remifentanil is an ultra-short-acting μ-opioid agonist, so its effects appear very quickly after IV dosing. The peak effect occurs about one minute after administration because the drug rapidly crosses into the central nervous system and engages opioid receptors, producing anesthesia-relevant effects almost immediately. Its very fast onset is matched by rapid metabolic inactivation by nonspecific esterases in blood and tissues, which means the duration is short and offset is predictable. This combination of rapid CNS penetration and rapid metabolism explains why the peak effect is around one minute rather than sooner or later.