LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — A new recommendation from the Nevada Division of Public Health could significantly reduce the number of fentanyl deaths in the state.
The NDPH is suggesting that Nevada hospitals add fentanyl screenings to their standard drug testing panel as drug overdoses become more prevalent.
In September, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department reported six suspected drug-related overdoses had occurred in Clark County during a 36-hour period. According to LVMPD, four out of the six drug overdoses have been preliminarily identified as fentanyl overdoses.
Between January and July 2022, there were 110 fentanyl overdose deaths among Clark County residents. In 2021, there were a total of 225 fentanyl deaths; 191 deaths were reported in 2020.
Currently, fentanyl tests are not part of the standard toxicology screenings hospitals do when dealing with a patient who’s had an overdose.
Instead, hospitals typically test for what is called the “federal five” which includes opiates, amphetamines, cocaine, THC and PCP.
Medical experts and drug agencies agree that many who suffer overdoses are unknowingly exposed to fentanyl, especially when it’s mixed in with other drugs.
"Fentanyl is 50 times stronger than heroin so it is vastly dangerous. About 6 years ago, we stopped seeing heroin on the streets and over the past 6 years, virtually all opioid users are using fentanyl whether they realize it or not,” said Steve Carleton, the chief clinical officer for Gallus Medical Detox.
California recently became the first state in the country to pass a law requiring hospitals to test for fentanyl in all patients who have overdosed.
