Wyoming | This is an excellent point. Morphine can cause what is known as a "histamine release," which causes dilation of the veins (ie "vasodilation") in the peripheral circulation, which will cause a BP drop. This is the same reaction in the body to a severe allergic reaction that causes swelling of the eyelids, closing of the throat, etc.
A BP that goes too low (and 53/33 is far too low on both numbers) can result in kidney damage.
Fentanyl does not cause a histamine release.
The other reason why doctors like fentanyl is that it is processed by the body (usually) more quickly than morphine. It also has a faster onset of action. This is why fentanyl is a favorite of EMS systems - fentanyl can be administered when a patient is brought into an ambulance, providing relief of severe pain (eg, a broken hip), but by the time the patient is in the ER and the docs are figuring out what to do, the fentanyl is wearing off, giving them an opportunity to either change pain meds or change dosage on the fentanyl. |
Knew fentenal was bad ....... but shocked
