Two children suffer life threatening overdose from playing with painkilling skin patches

One child had stuck two patches onto their own skin thinking they were sticking plasters and another fell unconscious showing signs of an opiate overdose after picking at a patch on a user’s arm.

Both were successfully treated for opiate overdose and recovered.

Dr Sarah Branch, Deputy Director of Vigilance and Risk Management of Medicines, said: “It is extremely important when applying a fentanyl skin patch that people check that they are stuck on securely. A patch may cause serious harm if it accidentally sticks to somebody else’s skin or is swallowed.

“The used patch should be folded in half so that the adhesive side sticks firmly to itself. It should then be safely thrown away in a secure bin so that it is not picked up by young children.

“If a patch is transferred to another person, remove it and get medical help immediately. If a patch is swallowed, get medical help immediately.

“People who use fentanyl patches should be careful to keep them out of the reach and sight of children and dispose of them carefully.”

Children are more likely to suck, chew or swallow the patches and have a lower threshold for overdose than adults, it was warned.

Doctors were told to inform patients that if a patch is transferred to another person, it should be removed and the individual should get medical help immediately. If a patch is swallowed, the individual should get medical help immediately.

Two children suffer life threatening overdose from playing with painkilling skin patches

Two young children suffer lifestyle threatening overdose from playing with painkilling skin patches

One child had stuck two patches onto their own skin thinking they were sticking plasters and another fell unconscious showing signs of an opiate overdose after picking at a patch on a user’s arm.

Both were successfully treated for opiate overdose and recovered.

Dr Sarah Branch, Deputy Director of Vigilance and Risk Management of Medicines, said: “It is extremely important when applying a fentanyl skin patch that people check that they are stuck on securely. A patch may cause serious harm if it accidentally sticks to somebody else’s skin or is swallowed.

“The used patch should be folded in half so that the adhesive side sticks firmly to itself. It should then be safely thrown away in a secure bin so that it is not picked up by young children.

“If a patch is transferred to another person, remove it and get medical help immediately. If a patch is swallowed, get medical help immediately.

“People who use fentanyl patches should be careful to keep them out of the reach and sight of children and dispose of them carefully.”

Children are more likely to suck, chew or swallow the patches and have a lower threshold for overdose than adults, it was warned.

Doctors were told to inform patients that if a patch is transferred to another person, it should be removed and the individual should get medical help immediately. If a patch is swallowed, the individual should get medical help immediately.

Two young children suffer lifestyle threatening overdose from playing with painkilling skin patches

E-cigarettes far more successful than patches to help quit smoking, says research

Supporters of e-cigarettes say the overall health consequences of nicotine use with no the tar seem to be significantly less of a issue. Photograph: Sean Smith for the Guardian

E-cigarettes are far more powerful than nicotine patches and gum in assisting men and women to quit smoking, in accordance to a examine that issues the adverse views of some public well being specialists.

The situation of e-cigarettes has turn into a public overall health battleground, alarming these who consider that allowing their advertising and marketing and their use in public spots the place smoking is banned hazards re-normalising tobacco.

But supporters say the huge bulk of smokers are making use of e-cigarettes to kick their tobacco habit and that the health consequences of nicotine use with no the tar from cigarettes seem, as however, to be far less of a difficulty.

The research by a staff from University School London looked at attempts to quit smoking by almost 6,000 folks and discovered that, whilst engaging with the NHS smoking cessation solutions was the most efficient way to quit, using e-cigarettes beat nicotine substitute therapy as effectively as the efforts of men and women to stop with no assist at all.

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E-cigarettes far more successful than patches to help quit smoking, says research