Treating Tranq: Practical Lessons from the Epicenter of the Xylazine Crisis

Friday, April 5, 2024

1:15 PM – 2:30 PM

Presenter(s)

Bridget R. Durkin, MD, MBE

Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine
Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania

Slides
Sam Huo, MD, MPH, MS

Assistant Professor of Clinical Emergency Medicine; Medical Director, Addiction Consult Team, Penn Presbyterian Medical Center
Penn Medicine, Pennsylvania
NB

Nia M. Bhadra-Heintz, MD, MS

Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Addiction Medicine Faculty
Hospital University Of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania
Emily R. Casey, PharmD

Clinical Pharmacy Specialist, Pain Management, Substance Use
Hospital of The University of Pennsylvania, New Jersey

Xylazine, popularly known as “Tranq”, has been identified as an “emerging threat” to the US population. A multi-specialty and interdisciplinary group of Addiction physicians and a pharmacist who practice in Philadelphia, where xylazine is currently found in > 90% of the opioid supply, will present best-practices in treating patients using xylazine. This didactic case-based session will address national xylazine trends, drug properties, overdose and withdrawal management, wound care, pain management, and harm reduction with a focus on patient-centered care.

Learning Objectives:

Learners will be able to:

Describe how xylazine’s unique pharmacology leads to clinical manifestations of intoxication, overdose, and withdrawal
Recognize and manage xylazine withdrawal with a variety of pharmacological agents
Identify and treat xylazine-associated wounds with patient-centered strategies