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Updated: Aug 22, 2026

Fentanyl Analog Screening using LC-TIMS-TOF MS/MS
Published on: November 8, 2024
Purple Fentanyl: A New Face on an Old Enemy
Jennifer Esch1, Matthew Bougie2, Alexis Vandehey2
1Aurora BayCare Medical Center, Green Bay, Wisconsin, jennifer.esch@aah.org.
Introduction:
Overdoses due to novel potent opioids continue to increase across the United States. The availability of colored fentanyl products that may appeal to younger patients is concerning.
Case Presentation:
We present the case of an adult male with an unknown ingestion subsequently identified as purple fentanyl. Brorphine is a common component of purple fentanyl and is considered an emerging novel potent opioid.
Discussion:
Only limited number of case reports describing brorphine exposure are available, and many clinicians remain unfamiliar with this substance. It is a potent opioid with a presumed long half-life. Clinical presentation is similar to that of other opioid toxidromes, including respiratory depression, miosis, and sedation, and is managed similarly. Patients may require extended monitoring after exposure to brorphine.
Conclusions:
Awareness of emerging substances of abuse will enable clinicians to diagnose and treat affected patients more readily.
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