Podcast 770: Xylazine

<strong>Contributor: Don Stader, MD</strong> <p><strong>Educational Pearls:</strong></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Xylazine, referred to as tranq dope colloquially, is an FDA approved animal tranquilizer that is circulating in the illicit drug markets of the northeastern United states</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">It is a powerful alpha-2 agonist, similar to clonidine, and patients with xylazine overdose may present similarly to opioid overdose</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Naloxone will not reverse the effects of xylazine and management is supportive care</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Withdrawal symptoms from xylazine use can be treated with clonidine</span></li> </ul> <p><strong>References</strong></p> <p><a href= "https://www.acep.org/tacticalem/newsroom/oct-2021/xylazine-an-emerging-adulterant/"> <span style= "font-weight: 400;">https://www.acep.org/tacticalem/newsroom/oct-2021/xylazine-an-emerging-adulterant/</span></a></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nunez J, DeJoseph ME, Gill JR. Xylazine, a Veterinary Tranquilizer, Detected in 42 Accidental Fentanyl Intoxication Deaths. Am J Forensic Med Pathol. 2021 Mar 1;42(1):9-11. doi: 10.1097/PAF.0000000000000622. PMID: 33031124.</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Summarized by John Spartz, MS4 | Edited by Erik Verzemnieks, MD</span></em></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Emergency Medical Minute is excited to announce that we are now offering</span> <em><span style="font-weight: 400;">AMA PRA Category 1 credits™</span></em> <span style="font-weight: 400;">via online course modules. To access these and for more information, visit our website at</span> <a href= "https://emergencymedicalminute.org/cme-courses/"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">https://emergencymedicalminute.org/cme-courses/</span>