They called it the zombie drug and now the alarm started from Perugia affects the whole country. The substance, the Fentanyltransforms into real ones living dead. A 40-year-old man was found in a hotel room, disconnected from the world, unable to answer questions, to carry out simple commands. A condition caused precisely by the inhalation of Fentanyl. It is a powerful synthetic opioid that affects United States it is believed to be responsible for a high number of overdoses. In recent days he has also been detected in Umbriato Perugia, among the components of a seized dose. The alert in USA has been taken for some time now and the story told on the pages of Bmj Case Reportsthe first case of toxic leukoencephalopathy linked to the Fentanyl observed by scientists, raises further fears. The doctors who carried out the study, in fact, explain that those who snort can suffer serious and long-lasting consequences. The man found at the hotel was in an unresponsive state. Leukoencephalopathy is like an inflammation that affects the white matter of the brain, the network of nerve fibers that allows the exchange of information and communication between different areas of the organ. A neurological pathology sudden or long lasting, already reported in the past in relation to the use of heroinin that case used with the method chasing the dragonchasing the dragon: inhaling vapors of heroin that is heated on aluminum foil.
THE RISK OF DEATH
Returning to Fentanylthe symptoms of those affected by leukoencephalopathy are neurological and behavioral changes: from mild confusion to the absence of reactivity, but also reaching coma and to death. Everything is linked to the extent of the injury: some people recover completely, others get worse as the days pass. It is unclear how long the man studied by scientists remained unconscious in his room. Crushing pills and a white substance were found on a table. When he arrived at the hospital he was unable to respond or follow commands. He responded to pain in his legs, but not to pain in his arms. It was a brain scan to reveal inflammation of the white matter, swelling and injury to the cerebellum, the part of the brain responsible for gait and balance. The subject, among other things, tested negative for epilepsy. It was the urinalysis that revealed a very high level of Fentanyl which suggested the diagnosis of leukoencephalopathy toxic induced by inhalation of the synthetic opioid.
HOSPITALITY AND HEALING
After eighteen days in hospital theman was still in bed. He was fed through a tube and required medications to treat urinary incontinence, kidney damage, cognitive impairment, opioid withdrawal, pain, pneumonia and agitation. He was discharged after 26 days of hospitalization, sent to a rehabilitation facility where he spent another month and once he returned home he required physiotherapy. It took him almost a year to fully recover and return to work. He considers his recovery a miracle. Now he not only thanks those who cared for him 24 hours a day, but above all he regrets what he did to himself, his wife and his family. The doctors who signed the report invite you to include the Fentanyl in routine urine screening.
THE FIRST ITALIAN DOSE
In Umbria it was theLocal Health Authority street unit to trigger the alarm after suspecting that a dose contained its own Fentanyl. After the first analysis the narcotic substance was delivered to Department of Medicine of the University of Perugia for further information and from here sent toHigher Institute of Health. Carry out the checks National Drug Early Warning System (News-D) coordinated by Department for Anti-Drug Policies (dpa) has issued the alert for the real presence of Fentanyl. This is the first time this has happened Italy. In agreement with the Undersecretary of State at the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, Alfredo Mantovanothe National prevention plan against the improper use of Fentanyl and other synthetic opioids which involves sending an alert to all police forces and all competent administrations so that the territorial monitoring network is strengthened and attention is increased in all potentially exposed sectors.
THE NATIONAL ALARM
The National Drug Early Warning Systemestablished in 2009 by the Dpa and operationally managed with theHigher Institute of Healthoperates in collaboration with Central Directorate for Anti-Drug Servicesof a network of scientific police and clinical-forensic toxicology laboratories, as well as anti-poison centers, currently being strengthened and capable of promptly identifying potentially dangerous phenomena for public health throughout Italy related to the appearance of new psychoactive substances and to new ways of consuming classic narcotic substances, just as happened with the Fentenyl.
