Notes

Opioid Overdose Emergencies

What Are Opioids?
Opioids are a class of natural and synthetic drugs that affect the nervous system to relieve pain. They can come in tablet, capsule, and liquid form. Some opioids are illegal, such as heroin. Other opioids are legal when prescribed by a doctor, such as oxycodone and morphine.

Opioid Overdoses
Improper use of opioids can lead to physical addiction and overdoses. Opioid overdoses can cause nervous system and respiratory depression. This can lead to respiratory arrest, cardiac arrest, and death.
The rate of opioid overdose-related emergency department visits almost doubled between 2005 and 2014. In 2016, over 42,000 people died in the United States due to opioid overdoses. In 2017, the opioid crisis was officially declared a public health emergency in the United States.

Quick Treatment with Naloxone
As the opioid crisis continues, it is important that healthcare providers quickly identify and treat a potential opioid overdose. Opioid overdose deaths can be prevented if rescuers provide basic life support care and immediately administer naloxone. Naloxone is a medication that can reverse the effects of respiratory depression caused by an opioid overdose.

Assessing the Potential of an Opioid Overdose
Scene assessment can be used to identify if an opioid overdose is a possibility. After confirming scene safety, the following assessment can be performed:
- Communicate with bystanders. Ask open questions, such as “Does anyone know what happened?” Don’t ask closed or yes/no-type questions, like “Did this person take drugs?”
-Observe the victim. First, check for the opioid overdose triad, which is:
==A decreased level of consciousness or severe sleepiness
==Pinpoint eye pupils
==Respiratory depression
Next, check for other indicators, such as muscle spasms and needle track marks on the body. replay
Observe the surroundings. Look for used syringes, pill bottles, pipes, or other drug-related material.

Treatment of Potential Opioid Overdose
During an emergency, normal BLS procedures should be followed. The following additional care should be performed when an opioid overdose is expected:
-If there is no normal breathing but a strong pulse, administer naloxone immediately according to local protocols.
-If there is no normal breathing and no pulse, the victim is in cardiac arrest. CPR should be initiated until an AED is available. Providing high-quality CPR is the priority over administering Naloxone.