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Case report
Unusual case of transdermal fentanyl in cachexia
  1. Deborah Lam1,
  2. Samantha Kay2,
  3. Jennie Pickard2 and
  4. Sophie Harrison2
  1. 1 Wythenshawe Hospital, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, UK
  2. 2 Palliative Medicine, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, UK
  1. Correspondence to Dr Deborah Lam, Wythenshawe Hospital, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester M23 9LT, UK; deborah.lam{at}nhs.net

Abstract

Fentanyl has a low molecular weight and is lipophilic making it suitable for transdermal administration. However, multiple factors appear to lead to interindividual variation in absorption via this route. Here we describe an unusual case where a patient was found to have twelve 100 μg/hour fentanyl patches in situ which she was using as background analgesia.

  • drug administration
  • pain
  • pharmacology
  • cachexia
  • transdermal fentanyl

https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjspcare-2018-001652

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    Footnotes

    • Funding The authors have not declared a specific grant for this research from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.

    • Competing interests None declared.

    • Patient consent for publication Obtained.

    • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; internally peer reviewed.