Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid primarily used medically to relieve severe pain. It is prescribed for acute pain, such as that caused by major trauma or surgery, and for chronic pain, especially in advanced-stage cancer or palliative care
. Fentanyl works by acting on the central nervous system to interrupt pain signals between the brain and the body
. It is available in various forms including injections, skin patches, lozenges, tablets, and nasal sprays
. In medical settings, fentanyl is also used as part of anesthesia to help numb patients before or during surgery
. Because fentanyl is extremely potent-about 50 to 100 times stronger than morphine-it must be prescribed and used carefully under medical supervision to avoid serious side effects such as respiratory depression, which can be fatal
. In summary, fentanyl is used to manage severe pain that other pain medications cannot adequately control, particularly in surgical, trauma, and cancer-related contexts
