Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. The information and recommendations below were developed to address a wide area release of fentanyl as a weapon of terrorism and are not specifically intended to address exposures associated with fentanyl use as an illicit drug.
Consequently, some of the guidelines presented on this page may be different than recommendations for emergency response personnel responding to fentanyl used as an illicit drug. Fentanyl is a member of the class of drugs known as fentanyls, rapid-acting opioid synthetic opiate drugs that alleviate pain without causing loss of consciousness analgesic.
Fentanyl depresses central nervous system CNS and respiratory function. Exposure to fentanyl may be fatal. Fentanyl is estimated to be 80 times as potent as morphine and hundreds of times more potent than heroin. It is a drug of abuse.
It is unclear whether the gas used also included other chemical agent s. Fentanyl is odorless. Fentanyl can be absorbed into the body via inhalation, oral exposure or ingestion, or skin contact. It is not known whether fentanyl can be absorbed systemically through the eye. Fentanyl can be administered intravenously IV , intramuscularly IM , or as a skin patch transdermally. Level A protection should be used until monitoring results confirm the contaminant and the concentration of the contaminant.
NOTE: Safe use of protective clothing and equipment requires specific skills developed through training and experience. Select when the greatest level of skin, respiratory, and eye protection is required. Select when the highest level of respiratory protection is necessary but a lesser level of skin protection is required.
