Fentanyl-induced cough (FIC) during the induction phase of general anesthesia is a frequently observed complication, but the risk factors underlying this phenomenon, particularly in pediatric patients, remain a topic of ongoing debate and investigation. This prospective observational study aimed to determine the incidence and risk factors of FIC in pediatric patients. This study was conducted in the Maternal and Child Health Hospital of Hubei Province from October 2023 to October 2024. Patients aged less than 14 years who met the inclusion criteria were enrolled. The incidence of FIC during general anesthesia induction and the basic demographic information of patients were recorded. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify the risk factors associated with FIC. A total of 682 pediatric surgical patients were included in the study, with an incidence rate of FIC at 17.45%. Univariate analysis showed that there were significant differences in gender (p = 0.014), the presence of concomitant rhinosinusitis (p = 0.002), history of food allergy (p = 0.041), the use of betamethasone (p = 0.004), and the use of dezocine (p < 0.001) between the FIC group and the non-FIC group. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that male (odds ratio OR 1.895, 95% confidence interval CI 1.207–2.976, p = 0.005) and rhinosinusitis (OR 1.791, 95% CI 1.174–2.731, p = 0.007) were associated with a nearly twofold higher risk of FIC, whereas betamethasone (OR 0.609, 95% CI 0.373–0.993, p = 0.047) and dezocine (OR 0.128, 95% CI 0.067–0.245, p < 0.001) were associated with a reduced risk of FIC. In the pediatric population, male sex and rhinosinusitis were associated with an increased incidence of FIC, while betamethasone and dezocine were associated with a decreased incidence. Given the observational design, causality cannot be inferred. Further randomized studies are needed to confirm these associations.
Li et al. (Thu,) studied this question.