Kids Still Dying From Accidental Exposure to Fentanyl Pain Patches

MONDAY, July 26, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- Accidental vulnerability to fentanyl symptom patches is putting children's lives astatine risk, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warns.

Fentanyl is simply a almighty opioid symptom reliever; truthful almighty that fentanyl patches are typically lone prescribed to patients who necessitate round-the-clock, semipermanent pain relief, specified arsenic cancer patients. They're mostly replaced each 3 days.

Kids tin overdose connected caller oregon utilized fentanyl patches by putting them successful their rima oregon connected their skin. This cause tin dilatory breathing and alteration levels of oxygen successful a child's blood, perchance causing death.

The FDA is calling connected parents and caregivers to marque definite these patches are stored, utilized and disposed of properly. The bureau offers these tips:

• Keep fentanyl patches and different drugs successful a unafraid determination retired of children's show and reach. Little ones whitethorn deliberation a medicine spot is simply a sticker, tattoo oregon bandage.
• Cover the fentanyl spot with a transparent adhesive movie oregon use archetypal assistance portion astir the edges to unafraid it to your skin.
• Throughout the day, cheque that the spot is inactive successful spot and secure.
• When you use a caller patch, instantly dispose of the utilized 1 properly.

Keep successful caput that a partially detached spot could get stuck connected a kid erstwhile an big holds them oregon sleeps with them.

If you usage fentanyl patches oregon different medicine opioids, inquire your wellness attraction supplier astir obtaining naloxone, a cause utilized to reverse an overdose. Naloxone tin beryllium fixed to anyone, including kids, who whitethorn person been exposed to a fentanyl patch, the FDA says.

If you fishy that a kid has been exposed to a fentanyl patch, telephone 911 and question exigency aesculapian assistance instantly -- adjacent if you administer naloxone.

Keep successful caput that aboriginal signs of vulnerability successful young children mightiness beryllium hard to spot. Drowsiness is among them, but it could beryllium misinterpreted arsenic regular fatigue oregon sleepiness. Other signs that the kid whitethorn person been exposed to fentanyl include:

• Trouble breathing
• Shortness of breath
• Swelling of the face, lingua oregon throat
• Agitation
• High assemblage temperature
• Stiff muscles.

More information

The U.S. National Library of Medicine has much connected fentanyl patches.

SOURCE: U.S. Food and Drug Administration, quality release