Rates of Fentanyl Nonfatal Overdose ED Visits Rose Through Third Quarter of 2023

WEDNESDAY, May 14, 2025 (HealthDay News) — From 2020 to 2023, there was an increase in the rates of fentanyl-involved nonfatal overdose emergency department visits, according to research published in the May 8 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

Cassandra M. Pickens, Ph.D., from the CDC in Atlanta, and colleagues analyzed quarterly trends in rates of suspected nonfatal overdose of unintentional or undetermined intent involving fentanyl or fentanyl analogs overall and by age group, sex, and race and ethnicity.

The researchers found an increase in the rates of fentanyl-involved nonfatal overdose emergency department visits of 8.7 percent per quarter during quarter (Q) 4 of 2020 to Q3 of 2023, from 1.4 to 3.5 per 10,000 emergency department visits, followed by an 11.0 percent decrease per quarter from Q3 of 2023 to Q1 of 2024, to 2.9 per 10,000 emergency department visits. Through mid-2023, trends increased among a majority of demographic groups; non-Hispanic American Indian or Alaska Native persons had the highest rates and the largest increases (e.g., 11.9 per 10,000 emergency department visits in Q3 of 2023 and an average quarterly increase of 9.0 percent).

“Ongoing monitoring of trends in fentanyl-involved nonfatal overdoses by state and local jurisdictions can identify areas in need of evidence-based prevention, treatment, and recovery support services,” the authors write.

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