Carfentanil Depresses Inspiratory Motor Drive

Jianguo Zhuang1, Xiuping Gao1, Shan Shi1

  • 1Department of Physiology, Lovelace Biomedical Research Institute, USA.

Journal of Substance Abuse and Alcoholism
|August 8, 2026
PubMed
Summary

Carfentanil significantly suppresses inspiratory motor drive, reducing phrenic nerve activity and impairing ventilatory responses to hypoxia and hypercapnia. This opioid effect contributes to carfentanil-induced respiratory depression and failure.

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