An analytically confirmed non-fatal intoxication by carfentanil in Sweden

Abstract

Recreational use of potent opioids is an ongoing high-risk drug trend causing considerable concern worldwide [1]. Carfentanil is one of the most potent analogs of the synthetic opioid fentanyl known. It has a very limited use in veterinary medicine for rapid immobilization of large animals but has never been approved for human use [2]. We present a severe, analytically confirmed non-fatal case of a carfentanil poisoning in Sweden in 2017.