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Xylazine, a sedative for animals , appears with increasing and dangerous frequency linked to drug overdose deaths in the United States , warned the Center for Disease Control and Prevention of Diseases (CDC) in a recent study .
According to a new CDC report, xylazine has appeared on Overdose deaths in 25 of the 38 states examined .
On 2019, xylazine contributed to death in the 64% of the cases and almost always also involved fentanyl.
The drug is mixed with opioids, such as fentanyl or heroin, to enhance its effects, but this cocktail can increase sedation and respiratory depression.
This combination increases the risk of a fatal overdose, CDC researchers explained .
“Detection of xylazine in multiple jurisdictions is of concern and warrants continued surveillance to inform overdose response and prevention efforts, given that the administration of naloxone may not be as effective when xylazine is mixed with opioids, ”wrote Mbabazi Kariisa, of the division of overdose prevention at the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control.
The drug naloxone can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose, but xylazine is not an opioid, so it is Naloxone may not work well to counteract its effects.
The Drug overdose deaths increased by nearly one 30% in EE .US. During 2020 .
“Since there is no pharmaceutical antidote to xylazine, immediate supportive care, such as respiratory and cardiovascular support , it is especially critical, ”said Kariisa.
Xylazine is used in veterinary medicine to sedate animals and is not intended for use in humans.
Enter 2019 and July 2020, deaths from the combination of fentanyl with xylazine increased from 6% to 25 %, researchers reported.
In combination with opioids, the sedative effects of xylazine, especially at bedtime, seem to be part of the appeal to people seeking it , hence the slang name “sleep cut” or “tranquilizer,” said Pat Aussem, associate vice president. of Partnership to End Addiction.
“The combination of opioids and xylazine increases the risk of overdose, as both drugs are central nervous system depressants. It can depress breathing, blood pressure and heart rate to dangerous levels or lead to death, ”Aussem said.
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