Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2017 Apr 14;66(14):382-386.
doi: 10.15585/mmwr.mm6614a2.

Characteristics of Fentanyl Overdose - Massachusetts, 2014-2016

Nicholas J Somerville, Julie O'Donnell, R Matthew Gladden, Jon E Zibbell, Traci C Green, Morgan Younkin, Sarah Ruiz, Hermik Babakhanlou-Chase, Miranda Chan, Barry P Callis, Janet Kuramoto-Crawford, Henry M Nields, Alexander Y Walley

Characteristics of Fentanyl Overdose - Massachusetts, 2014-2016

Nicholas J Somerville et al. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. .

Abstract

Opioid overdose deaths in Massachusetts increased 150% from 2012 to 2015 (1). The proportion of opioid overdose deaths in the state involving fentanyl, a synthetic, short-acting opioid with 50-100 times the potency of morphine, increased from 32% during 2013-2014 to 74% in the first half of 2016 (1-3). In April 2015, the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) and CDC reported an increase in law enforcement fentanyl seizures in Massachusetts, much of which was believed to be illicitly manufactured fentanyl (IMF) (4). To guide overdose prevention and response activities, in April 2016, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner collaborated with CDC to investigate the characteristics of fentanyl overdose in three Massachusetts counties with high opioid overdose death rates. In these counties, medical examiner charts of opioid overdose decedents who died during October 1, 2014-March 31, 2015 were reviewed, and during April 2016, interviews were conducted with persons who used illicit opioids and witnessed or experienced an opioid overdose. Approximately two thirds of opioid overdose decedents tested positive for fentanyl on postmortem toxicology. Evidence for rapid progression of fentanyl overdose was common among both fatal and nonfatal overdoses. A majority of interview respondents reported successfully using multiple doses of naloxone, the antidote to opioid overdose, to reverse suspected fentanyl overdoses. Expanding and enhancing existing opioid overdose education and prevention programs to include fentanyl-specific messaging and practices could help public health authorities mitigate adverse effects associated with overdoses, especially in communities affected by IMF.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

FIGURE
FIGURE
Percentage of opioid overdose deaths involving fentanyl, heroin/morphine (without fentanyl), and other opioids (without fentanyl, heroin/morphine) — Barnstable, Bristol, and Plymouth counties, Massachusetts, October 2014–March 2015
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Massachusetts Department of Public Health. Data brief: opioid-related overdose deaths among Massachusetts residents. Boston, MA: Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Executive Office of Health and Human Services, Department of Public Health; 2016. http://www.mass.gov/eohhs/docs/dph/stop-addiction/current-statistics/dat...
    1. Massachusetts Department of Public Health. An assessment of opioid-related deaths in Massachusetts (2013–2014). Boston, MA: Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Executive Office of Health and Human Services, Department of Public Health; 2016. http://www.mass.gov/eohhs/gov/departments/dph/stop-addiction/chapter-55-...
    1. Algren DA, Monteilh CP, Punja M, et al. Fentanyl-associated fatalities among illicit drug users in Wayne County, Michigan (July 2005–May 2006). J Med Toxicol 2013;9:106–15. 10.1007/s13181-012-0285 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. CDC. Increases in fentanyl drug confiscations and fentanyl-related overdose fatalities. Atlanta, GA: US Department of Health and Human Services, CDC; 2015. https://emergency.cdc.gov/han/han00384.asp
    1. Massachusetts Department of Public Health. Number of unintentional opioid-related overdose deaths by county, MA residents: 2000–2015. Boston, MA: Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Executive Office of Health and Human Services, Department of Public Health; 2016. http://www.mass.gov/eohhs/docs/dph/stop-addiction/current-statistics/ove...

MeSH terms