Citation

Frank RG, Pollack HA. New Engl. J. Med. 2017; 376(7): 605-607.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2017, Massachusetts Medical Society)

DOI

10.1056/NEJMp1615145

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Fentanyl, a powerful synthetic opioid, poses an increasing public health threat. Low production costs encourage suppliers to "cut" heroin with the drug, particularly white powder heroin sold in the eastern United States.1 Fentanyl also appears as a prevalent active ingredient in counterfeit OxyContin (oxycodone) tablets. The result is that fentanyl plays a major role in rising mortality due to heroin or opioid overdose. It poses a serious overdose risk because it can rapidly suppress respiration and cause death more quickly than do other opioids. From 2012 through 2014, the number of reported deaths involving fentanyl more than doubled, from 2628. . .

Language: en