INTRANASAL NALOXONE: A NEW WEAPON IN THE BLS ARSENAL - FDNY Journal

 

 

INTRANASAL NALOXONE: A NEW WEAPON IN THE BLS ARSENAL

Opioids are very effective medicines that are often prescribed for pain control. Consequently, they also have a high potential for abuse. According to the National Institute of Health, some of the most
commonly abused prescription drugs are codeine, morphine, methadone, and fentanyl. Overdoses
may occur unintentionally (e.g., a person took extra prescribed pill because she forgot she already had
taken one) or purposefully in an attempt to ‘get high’ or to attempt suicide. Since 1990, deaths related to opioid overdoses have more than tripled. 100 people die from drug overdoses every day in the United States. This opiate abuse epidemic has garnered much attention; and the public has demanded a response. For over 20 years, paramedics in New York City have been able to successfully treat and reverse the effect of opioids using naloxone. In the past three years, EMTs from other regions of New York State and other members of the public have received training in the administration of the opiate antidote naloxone. This journal will discuss how opiates work, the physiologic changes associated with opiates, how to assess and manage patients with suspected opiate overdose, and finally, we will discuss considerations when it comes to special populations and concerns when it comes to administering naloxone.

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FDNY Naloxone Journal.pdf