PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Jewell Johnson
AU  - Lia Pizzicato
AU  - Caroline Johnson
AU  - Kendra Viner
TI  - Increasing presence of xylazine in heroin and/or fentanyl deaths, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 2010–2019
AID  - 10.1136/injuryprev-2020-043968
DP  - 2021 Aug 01
TA  - Injury Prevention
PG  - 395--398
VI  - 27
IP  - 4
4099  - http://injuryprevention.bmj.com/content/27/4/395.short
4100  - http://injuryprevention.bmj.com/content/27/4/395.full
SO  - Inj Prev2021 Aug 01; 27
AB  - Reports from active drug users state that xylazine, the veterinary tranquilliser, has been increasing in the illicit drug supply in Philadelphia. To describe trends and characteristics of unintentional deaths from heroin and/or fentanyl overdose with xylazine detections occurring in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the Philadelphia Department of Public Health analysed data on deaths from unintentional heroin and/or fentanyl overdose from the Philadelphia Medical Examiner’s Office over a 10-year period (2010–2019). Xylazine went from being detected in less than 2% cases of fatal heroin and/or fentanyl overdose between 2010 and 2015 to 262 (31%) of the 858 fatal heroin and/or fentanyl overdose cases in 2019. Currently, information is limited on the presence of xylazine in continental United States. Xylazine’s association with adverse outcomes in other locations indicates that potential health consequences should also be monitored in the USA. Whenever possible, jurisdictions should consistently test for xylazine.