COMPARATIVE STUDY
JOURNAL ARTICLE
REVIEW
Add like
Add dislike
Add to saved papers

Transdermal fentanyl.

OBJECTIVE: To review the use of transdermal fentanyl for the treatment of moderate to severe chronic pain. The article provides background on the pharmacology and pharmacokinetics of the drug, as well as the properties of the transdermal system. In addition, clinical trials, adverse effects, and therapeutic considerations and recommendations are presented.

DATA SOURCES: Clinical trials, review articles, and reference texts.

STUDY SELECTION: Comparative clinical trials involving the use of transdermal fentanyl on postoperative and chronic pain patients.

DATA EXTRACTION: Data from clinical human trials published in the English language were reviewed. Trials were assessed by sample size, opioid dosage regimen, and therapeutic outcome.

DATA SYNTHESIS: Transdermal fentanyl was found to be effective in the control of chronic and postoperative pain. In one trial the overall patient satisfaction with pain control was 79 percent for the transdermal fentanyl group and 44 percent for the placebo group. In another trial, the amount of additional parenteral morphine was significantly lower for the group receiving transdermal fentanyl than for the placebo group (49.9 +/- 4.9 vs. 77.0 +/- 6.3 mg, respectively, p < 0.01). The most common adverse effects recorded were nausea (45-85 percent), pruritus (14-60 percent), and sedation (40-59 percent). The cost of analgesic therapy with this delivery system is higher than that of parenteral opioid analgesia, but less than patient-controlled analgesia.

CONCLUSIONS: The transdermal fentanyl formulation offers some minor advantages over other forms of conventional pain management. Results of early clinical trials are promising, but more studies are needed to evaluate its long-term effectiveness and adverse effects. Specifically, comparisons with standard parenteral and patient-controlled opioid analgesia in chronic malignant and nonmalignant pain are necessary for adequate evaluation of transdermal fentanyl.

Full text links

We have located links that may give you full text access.
Can't access the paper?
Try logging in through your university/institutional subscription. For a smoother one-click institutional access experience, please use our mobile app.

For the best experience, use the Read mobile app

Mobile app image

Get seemless 1-tap access through your institution/university

For the best experience, use the Read mobile app

All material on this website is protected by copyright, Copyright © 1994-2024 by WebMD LLC.
This website also contains material copyrighted by 3rd parties.

By using this service, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy.

Your Privacy Choices Toggle icon

You can now claim free CME credits for this literature searchClaim now

Get seemless 1-tap access through your institution/university

For the best experience, use the Read mobile app