Narcanistan

[Carlos Danger]

Narcan drip; what is the formula for that one?

Depends on whether you are using it to treat narcosis or septic shock.

 

[sirengirl]

Our union president (also my partner) posted on our union page last night to discuss the latest management meeting. Apparently they discussed the overdoses for the month of July. Only the month of July.

359 overdoses treated. 59 patients of which were repeat offenders. For the month of July only.

I hate my town...

 

[evantheEMT]

It's bad here in and around boston. Narcan is literally everywhere and it's ridiculous. They just started putting it in a high school how pathetic.

 

[TransportJockey]

Depends on whether you are using it to treat narcosis or septic shock.

Huh learn something new every day. I'm reading some articles on Narcan in septic shock and it's pretty cool Thanks for bringing it up!

 

[Tigger]

It's bad here in and around boston. Narcan is literally everywhere and it's ridiculous. They just started putting it in a high school how pathetic.

How is combating a public health crisis pathetic?

 

[CALEMT]

How is combating a public health crisis pathetic?

Apparently according to his logic EMS should just do away with medications all together.

 

[ERDoc]

It's bad here in and around boston. Narcan is literally everywhere and it's ridiculous. They just started putting it in a high school how pathetic.

So, are you saying that trying to save lives, especially those of kids, is pathetic?

 

[evantheEMT]

So, are you saying that trying to save lives, especially those of kids, is pathetic?

You guys are all dramatic holy crap. Always looking for issues.

 

[Jim37F]

You're the one who called it pathetic in your own words.......

 

[evantheEMT]

You're the one who called it pathetic in your own words.......

Actually I'm saying it's pathetic that kids are overdosing in schools. Stop putting words in my mouth.

 

[evantheEMT]

How is combating a public health crisis pathetic?

If people think giving narcan out like candy will solve the issue then they're crazy.

 

[ERDoc]

Actually I'm saying it's pathetic that kids are overdosing in schools. Stop putting words in my mouth.

No one is putting words in your mouth, you just seem to lack the ability to effectively communicate what you are trying to say.

If people think giving narcan out like candy will solve the issue then they're crazy.

I don't think anyone is saying it will solve the problem but it is a proven temporizing treatment that has a huge impact on morbidity and mortality until something else can be done. Just because it doesn't solve the problem doesn't mean it should be ignored.

 

[evantheEMT]

No one is putting words in your mouth, you just seem to lack the ability to effectively communicate what you are trying to say.



I don't think anyone is saying it will solve the problem but it is a proven temporizing treatment that has a huge impact on morbidity and mortality until something else can be done. Just because it doesn't solve the problem doesn't mean it should be ignored.

Never said it should be ignored I'm saying there needs to be more into the treatment not just giving narcan out. Apparently you don't agree with that.

 

[LACoGurneyjockey]

Never said it should be ignored I'm saying there needs to be more into the treatment not just giving narcan out. Apparently you don't agree with that.

Now who's putting things into other peoples mouths (giggity).
Super into the long term treatment of opiate addiction (ignoring immediate stabilization with Narcan). Super against the treatment of severe acute pain with opioids. Hmm, I'm starting to get the agenda Evan.

 

[Bullets]

So i work in the heart of what our politicians call "Epidemic", "pandemic" or any other headline worthy scary words. My town and our neighbor are mostly urban and we are the source for most of the heroin in the two county area. Yet despite this, in 2014 we as a system encountered 1 opiod overdose, an old lady on perks. This year, with the roll out of PD Narcan, we as a town have had i think 5-6 deployments. We do about 4200 calls for EMS service a year. Publically everyone says its tis huge problem yet the numbers they use suggest it has killed like .001% of our population. The talk hasnt really matched up with reality on the streets. Everyone just smokes weed

 

[chaz90]

So i work in the heart of what our politicians call "Epidemic", "pandemic" or any other headline worthy scary words. My town and our neighbor are mostly urban and we are the source for most of the heroin in the two county area. Yet despite this, in 2014 we as a system encountered 1 opiod overdose, an old lady on perks. This year, with the roll out of PD Narcan, we as a town have had i think 5-6 deployments. We do about 4200 calls for EMS service a year. Publically everyone says its tis huge problem yet the numbers they use suggest it has killed like .001% of our population. The talk hasnt really matched up with reality on the streets. Everyone just smokes weed

So I guess you're not really in the "heart" of the epidemic huh? Denying there's an opioid addiction crisis is a bit shortsighted, even if your area seems unusually immune to it.

Looking through my personal chart statistics from the past year, I administered naloxone 8 times. That's 8 out of ~500 charts I have personally written. That's only half the calls I have been on as my partner writes 50% of the charts, so statistically my unit has administered naloxone ~16 times in one year.

I don't give naloxone to conscious and breathing patients, so each one of those administrations is to a known (or highly suspected) opioid OD patient who is unresponsive and apneic. These clearly don't take into account my patients who abused opioids but weren't in a state of respiratory depression. BLS administered naloxone a couple times this past year before I got there too, so there are those cases to add on. Most of my patients are not accidental ODs either. Honestly, I can't recall how many were suspected heroin vs. prescription narcotics, but I know I've had some of both. Ages range from late teens to 60s, and these don't include the DOAs or worked cardiac arrests that were asystolic when I found them.

Looking up my agency statistics for the past year, our department has administered Narcan ~250 times. I don't think these are insignificant numbers, and I certainly would not say we are experiencing the worst of it versus more urban areas.

 

[Tigger]

So i work in the heart of what our politicians call "Epidemic", "pandemic" or any other headline worthy scary words. My town and our neighbor are mostly urban and we are the source for most of the heroin in the two county area. Yet despite this, in 2014 we as a system encountered 1 opiod overdose, an old lady on perks. This year, with the roll out of PD Narcan, we as a town have had i think 5-6 deployments. We do about 4200 calls for EMS service a year. Publically everyone says its tis huge problem yet the numbers they use suggest it has killed like .001% of our population. The talk hasnt really matched up with reality on the streets. Everyone just smokes weed

Maybe not where you are, which means that it isn't where you are. Literally nothing more than that.

 

[Bullets]

So I guess you're not really in the "heart" of the epidemic huh? Denying there's an opioid addiction crisis is a bit shortsighted, even if your area seems unusually immune to it.

Im not denying its out there, i just feel some of the language being used around the issue is hyperbolic and perhaps a little irresponsible. And OP asked how bad the "epidemic" was in our area, which its not in my town. Though a few towns south its more prevalent.

 

[Aprz]

Not really a problem here either. I've seen narcan used probably less than 5 times in the past year and half. I have not seen it successfully work once so maybe it wasn't those patients' problem or they were severely overdosed. The county I've been working in for the past year population is about 750,00. The county I did my internship at was about 1.7 million.

Bay area in California.