Abstract: Alfentanil is a synthetic fentanyl derivative acting on μ opioid receptors. It is a short-acting strong analgesic.  Compared with similar anesthetic drugs such as fentanyl and sufentanil, alfentanil had the lowest titer, the fastest effect, and shorter action time. The effect reached the peak 1.4 min after intravenous injection, and the maintenance time was 10-15 min. The distribution volume was small, which was in line with the three-compartment model, and was excreted through urine after liver metabolism inactivation.  Alfentanil, one of the earliest drugs in the fentanyl family, has been widely used in analgesia, sedation, anti-anxiety, induction and maintenance of anesthesia. In recent years, the use of alfentanil has tended to be short procedure, daytime surgery, reserved breathing, and outpatient anesthesia. With the recent successful development of domestic alfentanil and its gradual application in anesthesia, alfentanil is expected to become a new choice for clinical analgesia, but its clinical application experience and related studies are very limited at present. In this paper, the pharmacological characteristics of alfentanil and its application at home and abroad were reviewed in order to provide reference for the rational clinical application of alfentanil.

Key words: alfentanyl, pharmacology, clinical application