Carfentanil and Current Opioid Trends in Summit County, Ohio.

Introduction: The Summit County Medical Examiner's Office (SCMEO) observed 52 unexplained deaths during the month of July 2016 in which drug overdose was suspected. A fentanyl screening immunoassay performed on autopsy specimens was positive, but gas chromatograph/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) failed to confirm its presence. Carfentanil, a large wildlife tranquilizer, was later identified through reference lab testing as the cause of the sudden increase in overdoses.

An LC-MS-MS Method for the Analysis of Carfentanil, 3-Methylfentanyl, 2-Furanyl Fentanyl, Acetyl Fentanyl, Fentanyl and Norfentanyl in Postmortem and Impaired-Driving Cases.

In July of 2016, carfentanil (CF) emerged in Northeast Ohio resulting in over 25 deaths within a 30-day period. A total of 125 deaths have occurred in Summit County and Cuyahoga County has reported 40 deaths, relating to the presence of CF either alone, or in combinations with heroin and fentanyl. Prior to this surge in CF cases, positive fentanyl enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) screening results were increasing in number.