Fentanyl Citrate Injection is a powerful opioid agonist that comes with a risk of misuse, abuse and addiction and can lead to an overdose and even death. It is important to assess every person’s risk before you prescribe it and monitor how the patient reacts to the drug.
What is Fentanyl Citrate Injection?
It is an opioid agonist that comes as a solution that contains 50mcg/ml equivalent of fentanyl base that is adjusted to pH 4.0-7.5 with sodium hydroxide. It has a molecular weight of 528.60. The injection is a non-pyrogenic, sterile, preservative aqueous solution which can be injected both intramuscularly and intravenously.
What is Fentanyl Citrate Injection indicated and used for
It is indicated for:
- A short-term analgesic during induction and maintenance, anesthetic periods, premedication, and during the instant postoperative period when need be.
- Used as a narcotic analgesic supplement in regional and general anesthesia
- Used as a neuroleptic as an anesthetic drug to induce anesthesia.
- Used as an anesthetic agent together with oxygen in some high risk patients like those undergoing open heart surgery or specific complicated orthopedic and neurological procedures.
The correct dosage and administration
It is always important to follow the recommended instructions when administering Fentanyl Citrate Injection. Note that it should only be administered by someone who is specifically trained to use anesthetics and someone who knows how to manage the respiratory effects of strong opioids.
Always ensure that an opioid resuscitative, antagonist and intubation tool and oxygen is easily accessible.
The Fentanyl Citrate Injection dosage should be individualized based on factors like body, age, weight, underlying health issues, physical status, other drugs being used, the surgical procedure being conducted, and the type of anesthesia.
A professional should monitor the vital signs routinely
Just like most strong opioids, the respiratory depressant fentanyl properties can persist for longer periods than expected. A qualified health practitioner needs to consider the total dosage of all opioid agonists used before administering opioid analgesics while recovering from anesthesia.
In case Fentanyl Citrate Injection is given together with a central nervous system depressant, it is important to understand the properties of each drug especially how long they stay in your system. Additionally, if you have to combine the drugs, ensure that solutions such as fluids are available to manage hypotension.
You should also check for discoloration and expiry dates before you use this drug.
What forms is Fentanyl Citrate Injection available in?
It comes in the following USP 50mcg/mL ampules:
- 2 ml
- 5ml
- 10ml
- 20ml
- 50ml
Fentanyl Citrate Injection adverse reactions
You can expect certain adverse reactions after Fentanyl Citrate Injection is administered.
- Abuse, addiction and misuse
- Severe respiratory depression
- It can interact with central nervous depressants such as benzodiazepines to cause severe side effects
- Life-threatening cardiovascular depression
- Severe gastrointestinal reactions
- Serotonin syndrome
- Seizures
Note that these reactions differ from one person to another. It is not possible to establish how frequent they can be.
With opioid agonists such as Fentanyl Citrate Injection, the most common severe reactions that have been reported include:
- Apnea
- Respiratory depression
- Bradycardia
- Rigidity
- Respiratory arrest
- Cardiac arrest
- Circulatory depression
- Hypotension
- Hypertension
- Blurred vision
- Dizziness
- Emesis
- Nausea
- Pruritus
- Diaphoresis
- Anaphylaxis
- Laryngospasm
According to reports, there are possibilities of a secondary rebound respiratory depression.
Combining Fentanyl Citrate Injection with a tranquilizer can cause certain severe reactions such as:
- Restlessness
- Shivering or/and chills
- Postoperative episodes of hallucinations
- Symptoms of a mental disorder
- Drowsiness
- Extrapyramidal symptoms
- Adrenal insufficiency
- Cases of cardiac arrest and even death
- Serotonin syndrome
Fentanyl Citrate Injection overdose
There are several symptoms of a Fentanyl Citrate Injection overdose. The most common ones are respiratory depression and somnolence that leads to coma or stupor, clammy and cold skin, skeletal muscle flaccidity, constricted pupils and in other cases bradycardia, pulmonary edema, atypical snoring, hypotension, complete and partial airway obstruction, and death.
Can an overdose be treated?
In case of an overdose, there are several measures that can be taken to prevent adverse side effects. The main priority should be reestablishing the protected and patent airway and the sector of controlled or assisted ventilation if there is need. Other supportive measures such as vasopressors and oxygen can be used to manage pulmonary edema and circulatory shock. In case of arrhythmias or cardiac arrest, you might require improved life-support methods.
Opioid antagonists, nalmefene or naloxone are the antidotes to respiratory depression that come with opioid overdose. A qualified doctor can give an opioid antagonist in case of circulatory or respiratory depression. Note that the opioid antagonists should only be given in a medical on clinical set up.
The patient should be monitored closely when Fentanyl Citrate Injection is administered so as to detect any symptoms of an overdose. Because of this, the drug should be given in a hospital setup. If you are going to so it at home, it is important to know how to do it. Read the prescribing details carefully to avoid the severe side effects of an overdose.
Note that there is a higher risk of an overdose among people with a history of substance abuse especially opioids. It is important to be very careful with such individuals. The smallest dosage possible is recommended in such cases.
Fentanyl Citrate Injection withdrawal symptoms
You are likely to experience certain withdrawal symptoms after taking Fentanyl Citrate Injection. How severe these withdrawal symptoms are determined by certain factors such as dependence on other opioids and more. Call your doctor immediately you start experiencing withdrawal symptoms after you quit taking Fentanyl Citrate Injection.
Where to buy Fentanyl Citrate Injection
Fentanyl Citrate Injection should only be administered in a hospital setup. Your doctor will determine if you need it or not. However, you can buy the drug from us at an affordable price. We are a reliable online drug store that sells opioids and other related drugs at an affordable price.
The legal status of Fentanyl Citrate Injection
Fentanyl Citrate Injection is a controlled substance that should only be used in a medical setup because of the risk of adverse reactions.
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