Turkish Journal of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

Another lesson from the earthquake: Transdermal fentanyl dependence in two child victims

Hüseyin Oğuzhan Aslantaş 1 ,Şehim Kutlay 1 ,Haydar Gök 1 ,Birkan Sonel Tur 1 ,Beyza Özkan 1 ,Süveyda Dilara Başar 1
1 Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Ankara University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Türkiye DOI : 10.5606/tftrd.2024.14397 Thousands died in the Kahramanmaraş-centered earthquake in February 2023, and even more were injured. Some were administered transdermal fentanyl patches (TFPs) due to severe pain. Two pediatric patients, both severely injured victims of the earthquake, developed dependence on TFPs and experienced difficulties during the cessation of fentanyl treatment. The first child was discharged while still being administered fentanyl after four months. In the second case, TFPs could be ceased after four months. This study aimed to emphasize that TFPs can lead to dependence in pediatric patients as well; hence, they should be used more carefully to avoid any potential dependency. Keywords : Fentanyl, opium dependence, pain, pediatrics, transdermal patch