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Updated: May 31, 2026
10:13
Fentanyl Analog Screening using LC-TIMS-TOF MS/MS
Published on: November 8, 2024
Whole fentanyl patch ingestion: a multi-center case series.
Rita Mrvos1, Alexander C Feuchter, Kenneth D Katz
1University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, USA.
The Journal of Emergency Medicine
|June 21, 2011
Summary
Whole fentanyl patch ingestion can cause significant toxicity. Most patients required critical care admission, with some needing intubation or naloxone infusions, highlighting the need for careful management.
Area of Science:
- Pharmacology
- Toxicology
- Emergency Medicine
Background:
- Fentanyl is a potent synthetic opioid with high abuse potential, commonly administered via transdermal patches.
- Whole fentanyl patch ingestion is rare, with limited published case reports prior to this series.
- This study reports a case series of 76 patients with a history of whole patch ingestion.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize whole fentanyl patch ingestion.
- To develop a clinical guideline for managing fentanyl patch ingestions.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective review of patients who ingested intact fentanyl patches reported to three regional poison information centers (RPIC) from 2000 to 2008.
- Data collected included patient demographics, exposure details, symptoms, onset and duration, treatment, and outcomes.
- Fentanyl product codes from Micromedex® were used to query RPIC databases.
Main Results:
- 76 patients met inclusion criteria for whole fentanyl patch ingestion.
- Symptom onset occurred within 2 hours, with resolution by 9 hours in documented cases.
- The majority of patients (78.3%) were admitted, with 96.5% of those admitted requiring critical care. Fourteen patients needed intubation, and eight received naloxone infusions.
Conclusions:
- Ingestion of whole fentanyl patches can result in prolonged and significant toxicity.
- Poison center data indicate a substantial risk of severe outcomes following whole patch ingestion.
- Findings support the need for established clinical guidelines for managing these exposures.
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