We have examined the effect of remrfentanil on the haemodynamic response to orotracheal intubation in comparison to lidocaine in randomized double blind study. We studied 30 patients allocated to one of three groups , 10 patients each, to receive the following immediately before induction of anaesthesia: saline only in the 1st group, lidocaine 2mg/kg to the 2nd group and remifentanil 1ug/kg bolus over 30 seconds to the 3rd group, then anaesthesia was induced with thiopentone .vecronium and maintained with 60% N2O in oxygen and halothane 0.5 %, the trachea was in-tubated under direct lasyngeoscopy 3 min. after induction of anaesthesia.
Arterial blood pressure and heart rate were measured immediately before induction of anaesthesia and then every minute from the start of in-
duction until 5 minutes after intubation. Remifentanil was found to be effectively attenuating the perssor response to tracheal intubation in contrast to lidocaine which was found to be ineffective to attenuate this response.