Analgesia (1-2 μg/kg IV)

Adjuvant to inhaled anesthetics to blunt the response to direct laryngoscopy or sudden changes in the level of surgical stimulation (2-20 μg/kg IV) (consider effect-site equilibration time)

Decrease doses of inhaled anesthetics needed to blunt sympathetic nervous system responses to surgical stimulation (1.5-3 μg/kg IV 5 min before induction of anesthesia)

Produce surgical anesthesia (50-150 μg/kg IV)

Analgesia for early labor (25 μg intrathecal)

Preoperative medication (transmucosal)

Postoperative analgesia (transdermal patch)