Abstract

Anileridine hydrochloride (Alidine - Duncan, Flockhart), a derivative of pethidine which is now available in Britain, has been used long enough to establish that it is a valuable narcotic analgesic. Parenterally, 40 mg of anileridine give approximately the same analgesic effect as 100 mg pethidine. Anorexia and most other side effects appear to be similar when the two drugs are given in equipotent analgesic doses. Both drugs probably cause respiratory depression of about the same severity and duration. Clinical reports are conflicting about the sedative effect of anileridine. Whether it has more or less sedative effect than equal analgesic doses of pethidine remains to be established; in one controlled study of sedative effect, relatively more anileridine was required than would have been anticipated from the accepted 4:10 analgesic ratio.