A nurse with pethidine addiction

Abstract

Pethidine is a synthetic opioid substance with high addiction potential. It is commonly used in medicine pre and postoperatively to relieve the pain. A Pethidine addiction generally starts as iatrogenic and may be a problem for the clinicians when there is a real pain. Its opioid analgesic usage is legal, yet it is possible that it can be abused by the health care workers and addiction may become a frequent case. In order to attract attention to this issue a case of a nurse who was given pethidine after an operation to ease her pain and whom addiction is developed was presented. When the medicines with high addiction potential are given for the treatment, the patients must be followed closely in terms of addiction and drug abuse.