There was a reported increase in opioid overdoses in Worcester earlier this month, with blood tests finding traces of a sedative used in veterinary anesthesia, according to officials from UMass Memorial Health.
UMass Memorial Health paramedic-EMT Dr. Brian Rettger and Medical Toxicology Chief Director Dr. Kavita Babu told MassLive that the tests discovered the presence of medetomidine in the systems of those who had overdosed. Medetomidine is a sedative mostly used for animals and is not FDA-approved for human use, according to a press release from UMass Memorial. The finding of medetomidine in the patients’ bloodstream suggests it has now entered into the city’s drug supply, officials said.
