title: Xylazine Exposures Reported to Texas Poison Centers.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Xylazine is a sedative, analgesic, anesthetic, and central muscle relaxant approved for animals but not humans. Although xylazine is an emerging drug of abuse, there are limited data on potentially adverse exposures to the drug.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The intent of this study was to describe potentially adverse xylazine exposures reported to a large poison center system.
  
  
  METHODS
  All xylazine exposures reported to Texas poison centers between 2000 and 2014 were included. The distribution of cases by select variables was determined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 76 total cases, 93% of the patients were ≥20 years of age, and 54% were male. Fifty-one percent of the exposures occurred by injection, 28% by ingestion, 16% were dermal, 14% were ocular, and 3% by inhalation. Sixty-four percent of the exposures were unintentional, 32% were intentional, and 1% each was related to malicious use and adverse reaction. Sixty-seven percent of the patients were already at or en route to a health care facility when the poison center was contacted, 21% were managed on-site, and 9% were referred to a health care facility. The most common clinical effects were drowsiness or lethargy (47%), bradycardia (20%), hypotension (11%), hypertension (9%), puncture or wound (8%), and slurred speech (8%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Xylazine exposures tended to involve patients who were adult males, exposures were typically unintentional; and most often occurred by injection. Most of the patients were already at or en route to a health care facility when a poison center was contacted. The most frequently reported adverse effects were cardiovascular or neurologic in nature.
authors.affiliation: Epidemiology and Disease Surveillance Unit, Department of State Health Services, Austin, Texas.
authors.forename: Mathias B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Forrester
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D004333:Drug Administration Routes; D062787:Drug Overdose / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives / Q000506:poisoning*; D053609:Lethargy / Q000139:chemically induced; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011039:Poison Control Centers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012894:Sleep Stages; D013781:Texas / Q000453:epidemiology; D014991:Xylazine / Q000506:poisoning*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives; D014991:Xylazine
keywords: poison center; veterinary drug; xylazine