Department Blog - February 2023

Posted 2/1/2023 by Eileen O'Brien

ED treatment of injuries of violence in users of fentanyl

Clinical Assistant Professor Kyle R. Fischer, MD, MPH, Clinical Associate Professor Zachary Z.W. Dezman, MD, MS, and Research Associate Benoit Stryckman, MA, are among the authors of Illicit Fentanyl Exposure Among Victims of Violence, published Dec. 8, 2022 in the Journal of Surgical Research. This study found that patients injured by violence who used illicit fentanyl had higher rates of ventilator usage, more ICU admissions, and more trauma center encounters than violent injury victims who did not use fentanyl. The authors suggest fentanyl testing of patients injured by violence could identify candidates for violence prevention services and substance abuse treatment.