Opioid intoxication following transdermal application of fentanyl

Abstract

The case of a 77-year-old woman is described,who was found unconscious, with decreased respiration and miotic pupils, having previously experienced dizziness, nausea and drowsiness before. In the emergency room a fentanyl patch was detected, which had obviously been mistakenly applied by the patient the day before. Opioid intoxication was assumed and successfully treated with naloxon. The patient was supervised in an ICU for 24 h and sent home the next day without serious sequelae. The consequences following inappropriate use of transdermal fentanyl are discussed.