Botoșani: 6-year-old boy hospitalized after accidental fentanyl exposure

A 6-year-old boy in Botoșani, Romania, fell into a coma after accidentally being treated with fentanyl patches. The incident occurred when his 10-year-old sister applied four patches to a scratch on his thigh in an attempt to help him.

The patches, which had a concentration of 100 mcg/h, belonged to the children's grandmother, an oncology patient who had recently passed away. The accidental administration of such a high dose of the potent opioid caused severe respiratory depression and loss of consciousness.

Medical teams from the SMURD Intensive Care unit responded to the emergency. Doctors at the Mavromati County Emergency Hospital administered naloxone, an opioid antagonist, which successfully reversed the intoxication. The boy regained consciousness and was transferred to the pediatric department for continued observation. Medical professionals are using the incident to warn families about the extreme danger of leaving potent medications, especially opioids, accessible to children in the home.