North American and other jurisdictions have seen an alarming rise in the abuse of the fentanyls, with related overdose deaths. We sought to review this group of drugs to alert Australian psychiatrists and drug and alcohol clinicians to their clinical effects and potential harms.
Conclusions:
The extreme potency of the fentanyls underlie their lethality. Vigilance and investment from both policy makers and health care providers are required to mitigate harm from a possible future Australian fentanyl epidemic.
BonomoYNormanABiondoS, et al. The Australian drug harms ranking study. J Psychopharm2019; 33: 759–768.
2.
NuttDJKingLAPhillipsLD.Drug harms in the UK: a multicriteria decision analysis. Independent Scientific Committee on Drugs. Lancet2010; 376: 1558–1565.
3.
ArmenianPVoKTBarr-WalkerJ, et al. Fentanyl, fentanyl analogs and novel synthetic opioids: a comprehensive review. Neuropharmacol2018; 134: 121–132.
4.
SpencerMRWarnerMBastianBA, et al. Drug Overdose Deaths Involving Fentanyl, 2011–2016. National vital statistics reports: from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics, National Vital Statistics System2019; 68: 1–9.
5.
KiyatkinEA.Respiratory depression and brain hypoxia induced by opioid drugs: morphine, oxycodone, heroin, and fentanyl. Neuropharmacology2019; 151: 219–226.
6.
HanYYanWZhengY, et al. This rising crisis of illicit fentanyl use, overdose, and potential therapeutic strategies. Transl Psychiatry2019; 9: 282.
7.
BurnsGDeRienzRTBakerDD, et al. Could chestwall rigidity be a factor in rapid death from illicit fentanyl abuse?Clin Toxicology2016; 54: 420–423.
8.
MayerSBoydJCollinsA, et al. Characterizing fentanyl-related overdoses and implications for overdose response: findings from a rapid ethnographic study in Vancouver, Canada. Drug Alcohol Depend2018; 193: 69–74.
9.
ColeJBNelsonLS.Controversies and carfentanil: we have much to learn about the present state of opioid poisoning. Am J Emerg Med2017; 35: 1743–1745.
