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Jason's avatar

The danger of fentanyl was made very clear to my family just last week, and that was in a hospital context. My mother was having an outpatient procedure that required general anesthesia. She'd had severe reaction to fentanyl during a previous procedure, so she made sure a "no fentanyl" note was placed in her chart and on her bracelet, and she communicated that directly to the medical staff, including the anesthesiologist. And then during the procedure she started to wake up early, so the anesthesiologist made the decision to give her a "micro" dose of fentanyl. She stopped breathing and it took two doses of Narcan to save her life. When she regained consciousness, the nurse in her room was crying and told her they'd almost lost her. I can only imagine the risks involved when taking pill with an unknown amount of fentanyl in a non-hospital setting.

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Susan Uchitelle's avatar

I am so pleased you continue to write your very special and poignant articles.They makes my day.Susan Uchitelle

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