Detecting Xylazine: Prevalence, Pharmacokinetics, and Analytical Considerations.

Xylazine, an alpha-2 adrenergic agonist used as a veterinary sedative, has been detected in the illicit drug supply with increasing frequency and is thought to contribute to opioid-related overdose and fatality. Several mass spectrometry-based methods for the detection of xylazine have been described but very few clinical laboratories routinely perform testing and point of care assays for acute xylazine toxicity are not currently available. The development of new methods for timely, cost-effective detection of xylazine is a priority to reduce harms associated with this drug.