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Related Experiment Videos

Inhalation abuse of fentanyl patch

K A Marquardt1, R S Tharratt

  • 1Regional Poison Control Center, University of California, Davis Medical Center, Sacramento 95817.

Journal of Toxicology. Clinical Toxicology
|January 1, 1994
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

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Fentanyl patch abuse via inhalation can cause rapid overdose. This novel abuse method led to a patient collapsing with respiratory depression, requiring naloxone for reversal.

Area of Science:

  • Pharmacology
  • Toxicology
  • Emergency Medicine

Background:

  • Fentanyl patches are prescribed for chronic pain management.
  • Transdermal fentanyl delivery provides sustained analgesia.
  • Abuse of fentanyl patches can involve non-prescribed routes of administration.

Observation:

  • A 36-year-old male experienced acute intoxication after inhaling heated fentanyl patch contents.
  • The patient presented with severe respiratory depression (6 breaths/min) and hemodynamic instability (unobtainable blood pressure).
  • Intravenous naloxone administration successfully reversed the opioid-induced effects.

Findings:

  • Inhalation abuse of fentanyl base represents a novel and dangerous route of administration.
  • Studies on nebulized fentanyl show dose-dependent analgesia and respiratory depression.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Volatilizing fentanyl from patches likely enhances absorption, increasing overdose risk due to high potency and quantity.

    • Implications:

    • This case highlights the significant overdose potential associated with inhaling volatilized fentanyl from patches.
    • Healthcare providers should be aware of novel fentanyl abuse methods.
    • Public health strategies are needed to address the risks of fentanyl patch diversion and misuse.