Injection: Sedation, relief of pain, preoperative medication, adjunct to general or regional anesthesia
Transdermal: Management of moderate-to-severe chronic pain
Transmucosal (Actiq®): Management of breakthrough cancer pain
Transmucosal lozenges (Actiq®) or transdermal patches must not be used in patients who are intolerant to opioids. Patients are considered opioid-tolerant if they are taking at least 60 mg morphine/day, 30 mg oral oxycodone/day, 8 mg oral hydromorphone/day, 50 mcg transdermal fentanyl/hour, or an equivalent dose of another opioid for
1 week. Transdermal patches are not for use in acute pain, mild pain, or postoperative pain management.
Actiq® should be used only for the care of cancer patients and is intended for use by specialists who are knowledgeable in treating cancer pain. For patients who have received transmucosal product within 6-12 hours, it is recommended that if other narcotics are required, they should be used at starting doses 1 /4 to 1 /3 those usually recommended. Actiq® preparations contain an amount of medication that can be fatal to children. Keep all units out of the reach of children and discard any open units properly. Patients and caregivers should be counseled on the dangers to children including the risk of exposure to partially-consumed units. Safety and efficacy have not been established in children <16 years of age.
Topical patches: Serious or life-threatening hypoventilation may occur, even in opioid-tolerant patients. Serum fentanyl concentrations may increase approximately one-third for patients with a body temperature of 40°C secondary to a temperature-dependent increase in fentanyl release from the system and increased skin permeability. Patients who experience adverse reactions should be monitored for at least 24 hours after removal of the patch. Transdermal patch may contain conducting metal (eg, aluminum); remove patch prior to MRI. Safety and efficacy of transdermal system have been limited to children >2 years of age who are opioid tolerant.
>10%:
Cardiovascular: Hypotension, bradycardia
Central nervous system: CNS depression, confusion, drowsiness, sedation
Gastrointestinal: Nausea, vomiting, constipation, xerostomia
Neuromuscular & skeletal: Chest wall rigidity (high dose I.V.), weakness
Ocular: Miosis
Respiratory: Respiratory depression
Miscellaneous: Diaphoresis
1% to 10%:
Cardiovascular: Cardiac arrhythmia, edema, orthostatic hypotension, hypertension, syncope
Central nervous system: Abnormal dreams, abnormal thinking, agitation, amnesia, dizziness, euphoria, fatigue, fever, hallucinations, headache, insomnia, nervousness, paranoid reaction
Dermatologic: Erythema, papules, pruritus, rash
Gastrointestinal: Abdominal pain, anorexia, biliary tract spasm, diarrhea, dyspepsia, flatulence
Local: Application site reaction
Neuromuscular & skeletal: Abnormal coordination, abnormal gait, back pain, paresthesia, rigors, tremor
Respiratory: Apnea, bronchitis, dyspnea, hemoptysis, pharyngitis, rhinitis, sinusitis, upper respiratory infection
Miscellaneous: Hiccups, flu-like syndrome, speech disorder
<1%: Abdominal distention, ADH release, amblyopia, aphasia, bladder pain, bradycardia, bronchospasm, circulatory depression, CNS excitation or delirium, cold/clammy skin, convulsions, depersonalization, dysesthesia, exfoliative dermatitis, hyper-/hypotonia, hostility, laryngospasm, oliguria, paradoxical dizziness, physical and psychological dependence with prolonged use, polyuria, pustules, stertorous breathing, stupor, urinary tract spasm, urticaria, vertigo
Postmarketing and/or case reports: Anorgasmia, blurred vision, dental caries (Actiq®), ejaculatory difficulty, gum line erosion (Actiq®), libido decreased, tachycardia, tooth loss (Actiq®), weight loss
CNS depressants: Increased sedation with CNS depressants, phenothiazines
CYP3A4 inhibitors: May increase the levels/effects of fentanyl. Potentially fatal respiratory depression may occur when a potent inhibitor is used in a patient receiving chronic fentanyl (eg, transdermal). Example inhibitors include azole antifungals, ciprofloxacin, clarithromycin, diclofenac, doxycycline, erythromycin, imatinib, isoniazid, nefazodone, nicardipine, propofol, protease inhibitors, quinidine, and verapamil.
MAO inhibitors: Not recommended to use Actiq® within 14 days. Severe and unpredictable potentiation by MAO inhibitors has been reported with opioid analgesics.
Ethanol: Avoid ethanol (may increase CNS depression).
Food: Glucose may cause hyperglycemia.
Herb/Nutraceutical: St John's wort may decrease fentanyl levels. Avoid valerian, St John's wort, kava kava, gotu kola (may increase CNS depression).
Injection formulation: Store at controlled room temperature of 15°C to 25°C (59°F to 86°F); protect from light
Transdermal: Do not store above 25°C (77°F)
Transmucosal: Store at controlled room temperature of 15°C to 30°C (59°F to 86°F)
Y-site administration: Compatible: Alatrofloxacin, amphotericin B cholesteryl sulfate complex, atracurium, cisatracurium, diltiazem, dobutamine, dopamine, enalaprilat, epinephrine, esmolol, etomidate, furosemide, gatifloxacin, heparin, hydrocortisone sodium succinate, hydromorphone, labetalol, levofloxacin, linezolid, lorazepam, midazolam, milrinone, morphine, nafcillin, nicardipine, nitroglycerin, norepinephrine, pancuronium, potassium chloride, propofol, ranitidine, remifentanil, sargramostim, thiopental, vecuronium, vitamin B complex with C
Compatibility in syringe: Compatible: Atracurium, atropine, bupivacaine with ketamine, butorphanol, chlorpromazine, cimetidine, clonidine with lidocaine, dimenhydrinate, diphenhydramine, droperidol, heparin, hydromorphone, hydroxyzine, meperidine, metoclopramide, midazolam, morphine, ondansetron, pentazocine, perphenazine, prochlorperazine edisylate, promazine, promethazine, ranitidine, scopolamine. Incompatible: Pentobarbital
Compatibility when admixed: Compatible: Bupivacaine. Incompatible: Fluorouracil, methohexital, pentobarbital, thiopental
Onset of action: Analgesic: I.M.: 7-15 minutes; I.V.: Almost immediate; Transmucosal: 5-15 minutes
Peak effect: Transmucosal: Analgesic: 20-30 minutes
Duration: I.M.: 1-2 hours; I.V.: 0.5-1 hour; Transmucosal: Related to blood level; respiratory depressant effect may last longer than analgesic effect
Absorption: Transmucosal: Rapid, ~25% from the buccal mucosa; 75% swallowed with saliva and slowly absorbed from GI tract
Distribution: Highly lipophilic, redistributes into muscle and fat
Metabolism: Hepatic, primarily via CYP3A4
Bioavailability: Transmucosal: ~50% (range: 36% to 71%)
Half-life elimination: 2-4 hours; Transmucosal: 6.6 hours (range: 5-15 hours); Transdermal: 17 hours (half-life is influenced by absorption rate)
Excretion: Urine (primarily as metabolites, 10% as unchanged drug)
Children 1-12 years:
Sedation for minor procedures/analgesia: I.M., I.V.: 1-2 mcg/kg/dose; may repeat at 30- to 60-minute intervals. Note: Children 18-36 months of age may require 2-3 mcg/kg/dose
Continuous sedation/analgesia: Initial I.V. bolus: 1-2 mcg/kg then 1 mcg/kg/hour; titrate upward; usual: 1-3 mcg/kg/hour
Pain management: Transdermal (limited to children >2 years who are opioid tolerant): Initial dose: 25 mcg/hour system (higher doses have been used based on equianalgesic conversion); change patch every 72 hours
Children >12 years and Adults:
Sedation for minor procedures/analgesia: I.M., I.V.: 0.5-1 mcg/kg/dose; higher doses are used for major procedures
Pain management: Transdermal:
Initial: To convert patients from oral or parenteral opioids to transdermal formulation, a 24-hour analgesic requirement should be calculated (based on prior opiate use). This analgesic requirement should be converted to the equianalgesic oral morphine dose (see equianalgesic dosage table). The initial fentanyl dosage may be approximated from the 24-hour morphine dosage (see table) and titrated to minimize adverse effects and provide analgesia. Change patch every 72 hours.
Titration: Short-acting agents may be required until analgesic efficacy is established and/or as supplements for "breakthrough" pain. The amount of supplemental doses should be closely monitored. Appropriate dosage increases may be based on daily supplemental dosage using the ratio of 45 mg/24 hours of oral morphine to a 12.5 mcg/hour increase in fentanyl dosage.
Frequency of adjustment: The dosage should not be titrated more frequently than every 3 days after the initial dose or every 6 days thereafter. Patients should wear a consistent fentanyl dosage through two applications (6 days) before dosage increase based on supplemental opiate dosages can be estimated.
Frequency of application: The majority of patients may be controlled on every 72-hour administration; however, a small number of patients require every 48-hour administration.
Adults:
Premedication: I.M., slow I.V.: 50-100 mcg/dose 30-60 minutes prior to surgery
Adjunct to regional anesthesia: I.M., slow I.V.: 50-100 mcg/dose; if I.V. used, give over 1-2 minutes
Severe pain: I.M.: 50-100 mcg/dose every 1-2 hours as needed; patients with prior opiate exposure may tolerate higher initial doses
Adjunct to general anesthesia: Slow I.V.:
Low dose: Initial: 2 mcg/kg/dose; Maintenance: Additional doses infrequently needed
Moderate dose: Initial: 2-20 mcg/kg/dose; Maintenance: 25-100 mcg/dose may be given slow I.V. or I.M. as needed
High dose: Initial: 20-50 mcg/kg/dose; Maintenance: 25 mcg to one-half the initial loading dose may be given as needed
General anesthesia without additional anesthetic agents: Slow I.V.: 50-100 mcg/kg with O2 and skeletal muscle relaxant
Mechanically-ventilated patients (based on 70 kg patient): Slow I.V.: 0.35-1.5 mcg/kg every 30-60 minutes as needed; infusion: 0.7-10 mcg/kg/hour
Patient-controlled analgesia (PCA): I.V.: Usual concentration: 50 mcg/mL
Demand dose: Usual: 10 mcg; range: 10-50 mcg
Lockout interval: 5-8 minutes
Breakthrough cancer pain: Adults: Transmucosal: Actiq® dosing should be individually titrated to provide adequate analgesia with minimal side effects. It is indicated only for management of breakthrough cancer pain in patients who are tolerant to and currently receiving opioid therapy for persistent cancer pain. An initial starting dose of 200 mcg should be used for the treatment of breakthrough cancer pain. Patients should be monitored closely in order to determine the proper dose. If redosing for the same episode is necessary, the second dose may be started 15 minutes after completion of the first dose. Dosing should be titrated so that the patient's pain can be treated with one single dose. Generally, 1-2 days is required to determine the proper dose of analgesia with limited side effects. Once the dose has been determined, consumption should be limited to 4 units/day or less. Patients needing more than 4 units/day should have the dose of their long-term opioid re-evaluated. If signs of excessive opioid effects occur before a dose is complete, the unit should be removed from the patient's mouth immediately, and subsequent doses decreased.
Elderly >65 years: Transmucosal: Actiq®: Dose should be reduced to 2.5-5 mcg/kg; elderly have been found to be twice as sensitive as younger patients to the effects of fentanyl. Patients in this age group generally require smaller doses of Actiq® than younger patients.
|
|
Oral 24-Hour Morphine (mg/d) |
Duragesic® Dose (mcg/h) |
| 60-134 2 | 25 |
| 135-224 | 50 |
| 225-314 | 75 |
| 315-404 | 100 |
| 405-494 | 125 |
| 495-584 | 150 |
| 585-674 | 175 |
| 675-764 | 200 |
| 765-854 | 225 |
| 855-944 | 250 |
| 945-1034 | 275 |
| 1035-1124 | 300 |
| Product information, Duragesic® - Janssen Pharmaceutica | |
| 1 Should not be used to convert from Duragesic® to other therapies because this conversion to Duragesic® is conservative. Use of this table for conversion to other analgesic therapies can overestimate the dose of the new agent; overdosage of the new analgesic agent is possible (see dosage for discontinuation of Duragesic® ). | |
| 2 Pediatric patients initiating therapy on a 25 mcg/hour Duragesic® system should be opioid-tolerant and receiving at least 60 mg oral morphine equivalents per day. | |
|
| Drug |
Equianalgesic Dose (mg) |
Initial Oral Dose | ||
| Oral 1 | Parenteral 2 |
Children (mg/kg) |
Adults (mg) |
|
| Buprenorphine | - | 0.4 | - | - |
| Butorphanol | - | 2 | - | - |
| Hydromorphone | 7.5 | 1.5 | 0.06 | 4-8 |
| Levorphanol |
4 (acute) 1 (chronic) |
2 (acute) 1 (chronic) |
0.04 | 2-4 |
| Meperidine | 300 | 75 | Not Recommended | |
| Methadone | 10 | 5 | 0.2 | 0.2 |
| Morphine | 30 | 10 | 0.3 | 15-30 |
| Nalbuphine | - | 10 | - | - |
| Pentazocine | 50 | 30 | - | - |
| Oxycodone | 20 | - | 0.3 | 10.20 |
| Oxymorphone | 1 | - | - | - |
| From "Principles of Analgesic Use in the Treatment of Acute Pain and Cancer Pain," Am Pain Soc , Fifth Ed. | ||||
| 1 Elderly: Starting doese should be lower for this population group | ||||
|
2
Standard parenteral doses for acute pain in adults; can be used to doses for I.V. infusions and repeateed small I.V. boluese. Single I.V. boluses, use half the I.M. dose. Children >6 months: I.V. dose = parenteral equianalgesic dose x weight (kg)/100 |
||||
Dosing adjustment in hepatic impairment: Actiq®: Although fentanyl kinetics may be altered in hepatic disease, Actiq® can be used successfully in the management of breakthrough cancer pain. Doses should be titrated to reach clinical effect with careful monitoring of patients with severe hepatic disease.
I.V.: Muscular rigidity may occur with rapid I.V. administration. During prolonged administration, dosage requirements may decrease.
Transdermal: Apply to nonirritated and nonirradiated skin, such as chest, back, flank, or upper arm. Upper back is preferred location in children. Do not shave skin; hair at application site should be clipped. Prior to application, clean site with clear water and allow to dry completely. Do not cut patch. Apply patch immediately after removing from package. Firmly press in place and hold for 30 seconds. Change patch every 72 hours. Keep transdermal product (both used and unused) out of the reach of children. Do not use soap, alcohol, or other solvents to remove transdermal gel if it accidentally touches skin, as they may increase transdermal absorption; use copious amounts of water. Avoid exposing application site to external heat sources (eg, heating pad, electric blanket, heat lamp, hot tub).
Transmucosal: Foil overwrap should be removed just prior to administration. Once removed, patient should place the unit in mouth and allow it to dissolve. Do not chew. Actiq® units may be occasionally moved from one side of the mouth to the other. The unit should be consumed over a period of 15 minutes. Unit should be removed after it is consumed or if patient has achieved an adequate response and/or shows signs of respiratory depression. For patients who have received transmucosal product within 6-12 hours, it is recommended that if other narcotics are required, they should be used at starting doses 1 /4 to 1 /3 those usually recommended.
Transdermal: Monitor for 24 hours after application of first dose
Administration:
Transdermal: Apply to clean, dry skin, immediately after removing from package. Firmly press in place and hold for 30 seconds.
Actiq® transmucosal: Actiq® preparations contain an amount of medication that can be fatal to children. Keep all units out of the reach of children and discard any open units properly. Actiq® Welcome Kits are available which contain educational materials, safe storage and disposal instructions.
Transmucosal (oral lozenge): Disposal of Actiq® units: After consumption of a complete unit, the handle may be disposed of in a trash container that is out of the reach of children. For a partially-consumed unit, or a unit that still has any drug matrix remaining on the handle, the handle should be placed under hot running tap water until the drug matrix has dissolved. Special child-resistant containers are available to temporarily store partially consumed units that cannot be disposed of immediately.
Transdermal system (Duragesic®): Upon removal of the patch, ~17 hours are required before serum concentrations fall to 50% of their original values. Opioid withdrawal symptoms are possible. Gradual downward titration (potentially by the sequential use of lower-dose patches) is recommended. Keep transdermal product (both used and unused) out of the reach of children. Do not use soap, alcohol, or other solvents to remove transdermal gel if it accidentally touches skin as they may increase transdermal absorption, use copious amounts of water.
Fentanyl is 50-100 times as potent as morphine; morphine 10 mg I.M. is equivalent to fentanyl 0.1-0.2 mg I.M.; fentanyl has less hypotensive effects than morphine due to lack of histamine release. However, fentanyl may cause rigidity with high doses. If the patient has required high-dose analgesia or has used for a prolonged period (~7 days), taper dose to prevent withdrawal; monitor for signs and symptoms of withdrawal.
Infusion [premixed in NS]: 0.05 mg (10 mL); 1 mg (100 mL); 1.25 mg (250 mL); 2 mg (100 mL); 2.5 mg (250 mL)
Injection, solution, as citrate [preservative free]: 0.05 mg/mL (2 mL, 5 mL, 10 mL, 20 mL, 30 mL, 50 mL)
Sublimaze®: 0.05 mg/mL (2 mL, 5 mL, 10 mL, 20 mL)
Lozenge, oral transmucosal, as citrate (Actiq®): 200 mcg, 400 mcg, 600 mcg, 800 mcg, 1200 mcg, 1600 mcg [mounted on a plastic radiopaque handle; raspberry flavor]
Transdermal system: 25 mcg/hour [6.25 cm 2 ] (5s); 50 mcg/hour [12.5 cm 2 ] (5s); 75 mcg/hour [18.75 cm 2 ]; 100 mcg/hour [25 cm 2 ] (5s)
Duragesic®: 12 mcg/hour [5 cm 2 ] (5s); 25 mcg/hour [10 cm 2 ] (5s); 50 mcg/hour [20 cm 2 ] (5s); 75 mcg/hour [30 cm 2 ]; 100 mcg/hour [40 cm 2 ] (5s)
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