Equine veterinary journal
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Equine veterinary journal · Jul 2003
Pharmacokinetics of fentanyl following intravenous and transdermal administration in horses.
Although fentanyl has been reported to cause CNS excitation in horses, a transdermal therapeutic system (TTS) containing this mu agonist has recently been used empirically in equine medicine to treat moderate to severe pain. A better understanding of the disposition of fentanyl following transdermal administration would facilitate the clinical use of TTS fentanyl to obtain analgesia in horses. ⋯ Although the pharmacodynamics of fentanyl have not been investigated fully in horses, transdermally-administered fentanyl exhibited a favourable pharmacokinetic profile without clinically relevant side effects and may be a useful analgesic in equine patients.