TITLE:
Pentazocine Abuse in Two Siblings with Sickle Cell Anaemia
AUTHORS:
Samuel Kolade Ernest, Israel Kayode Kolawole, Benedict Oluwasesan Olorunsola, Oluwaseun Taofik Ogunkunle, Oluwatosin Adeniyi Ojuola, Tryphena Jadesola Oyedepo, Segun Opeyemi Jenyo
KEYWORDS:
Pentazocine, Abuse, Siblings, Sickle Cell Anaemia
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Pediatrics,
Vol.9 No.2,
May
31,
2019
ABSTRACT: Vaso-occlusive crisis is a common clinical manifestation in children with
sickle cell anaemia, frequently warranting in-patient management with intravenous
fluids, analgesics and occasionally anti-malaria
and antibiotics. Pain is the principal symptom of vaso-occlusive crisis and it
can affect any part of the body. Pentazocine is a well-known opioid
analgesic, commonly used in the treatment of painful crisis in children
affected by sickle cell anaemia. It was discovered in the 1950s and was
initially thought to be addiction—proof, but this has
been disproved over the years by reports of pentazocine dependence/addiction
especially in patients living with chronic pain. There have been some case
reports of pentazocine abuse/dependence among sickle cell disease patients in
the literature, most of which are from Nigeria but none involved joint
addiction by siblings. We therefore, report the case of two siblings, known
sickle cell anaemia (HbSS) patients, referred to our emergency paediatric unit with history of recurrent painful
crisis over a 10-month period leading to abuse of pentazocine. They
were jointly managed successfully by the paediatric hematology and the pain and palliative
units of the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital and helped to overcome
their abuse and addiction.