Fentanyl may impair breathing minutes before its sedative effect kicks in

• ​Fentanyl is a highly potent pain medication that medical professionals sometimes give people during and after surgery but it can be hazardous when people use it illicitly.
• A​ recent study found that fentanyl may produce a unique electrical signal biomarker in the brain, enabling doctors to use this information to administer fentanyl at more precise and personalized levels.
• The study also found that fentanyl depresses breathing at a much lower dose than when the effects of the drug manifest— meaning that someone’s breathing can be depressed several minutes before other effects even begin to show.

D​octors use fentanyl to help control surgical pain, but some information regarding proper dosing and monitoring is lacking. Because of its potency, it can also cause serious harm when people use fentanyl illicitly.

A​ recent study examined the impact of fentanyl on the brain in part using electroencephalogram (EEG) monitoring, which records the activities of the brain.

The researchers found a unique EEG biomarker highly correlated with concentrations of fentanyl and respiratory depression. They also found that fentanyl causes respiratory depression before people show other signs of sedation.

These results indicate the need for careful use of fentanyl and for resources to be available for potential fentanyl overdose.

The study was published in PNAS Nexus.