Fentanyl, a potent opioid agonist, was developed in the 1950s to fill a need for strong and rapid analgesia. Because of these characteristics, fentanyl is commonly used to treat chronic cancer pain or in anesthesia. Fentanyl is related to other opioids like morphine and oxycodone.
Fentanyl's high potency has also made it a common adulterant in illicit drugs, especially heroin. In 2017, 47600 overdose deaths in the United States involved some opioid (over 2/3 of all overdose deaths). Opioid overdoses kill an average of 11 Canadians daily.
Fentanyl was FDA approved in 1968.
Fentanyl intravenous or intramuscular injections are indicated for short term analgesia during induction, maintenance, and recovery from general or regional anesthesia. These injections are also used with a neuroleptic for premedication, induction, and as an adjunct to maintenance of anesthesia. Finally, fentanyl intravenous or intramuscular injections are used with oxygen for anesthesia in high risk patients.
Fentanyl sublingual tablets, transmucosal lozenges, buccal tablets, sublingual sprays, transdermal systems, and nasal sprays are indicated for the management of breakthrough pain in opioid tolerant cancer patients who require around the clock pain management.
Mech Sense, Department of Gastroenterology, Aalborg, Region Nordjyllan, Denmark
St'Orsola-Malpighi General Hospital, Bologna, BO, Italy
Asker and Baerum Hospital, Rud, Norway
UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, United States
Värnamo Hospital, Värnamo, Sweden
Eksjö Hospital, Eksjö, Sweden
Ryhov Hospital, Jönköping, Sweden
UMDNJ University Hospital, Newark, New Jersey, United States
Klinik fuer Anaesthesiologie am Universitätsklinikum Schleswig Holstein, Campus Luebeck, Lubeck, Germany
Klinik fuer Anaesthesiologie der Ludwigs-Maximilians-Universitaet Muenchen, Munich, Germany
Krankenhaus Friedrichshafen, Friedrichshafen, Germany
Clinic for Paediatrics, University of Cologne Kerpener Str. 62, Cologne, Germany
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