Naloxone training could mean difference between life and death
During International Overdose Awareness Day on Wednesday, harm reduction advocates and medical professionals across the nation encouraged Canadians to consider carrying and being trained in the administration of naloxone.
“With a (naloxone) kit, you have the potential to save a life,” local harm reduction advocate Kym Porter told the News, Medicine Hat’s IOAD event.
Attendees were encouraged to take a free naloxone kit, provided by Pharmasave Medicine Hat, and were invited to speak with a pharmacist about naloxone and its effects, as well as to receive training in regards to proper administration.
While the kits and training are free and offered at almost all Alberta pharmacies, pharmacy representatives said they are unsure what per cent of the public knows about the availability of naloxone kits or what training entails.
Usually lasting no more than five minutes, naloxone kit training begins with an overview of what naloxone is and does.
Naloxone — also known as Narcan — is a medication used to temporarily reverse the effects of opioid overdoses, providing additional time for individuals who have overdosed to receive potentially life-saving medical treatment.
Suitable for all ages, with no addictive properties and no adverse side effects if administered to someone not suffering an opioid overdose, naloxone has long been a cornerstone of opioid treatment in hospitals. But when Canada’s opioid overdose death rate began rising in the early-to-mid 2010s, the push to make naloxone available publicly grew.
Health Canada approved use of naloxone to treat overdoses outside hospitals in March 2016, and naloxone kits are now available in pharmacies across the nation.
While naloxone is most commonly associated with fentanyl overdoses, the pharmacist explained it can be used to treat overdoses of other opioids, including heroin, morphine, methadone, oxycodone, codeine, etc.
The next step of training is learning to recognize symptoms of an opioid overdose, with the major signs being little to no breathing, blue-tinged nails or skin, cold and clammy skin, uncounsciousness, limpness and most distinctly very small ‘pinpoint’ pupils.
If symptoms indicate an opioid overdose, the next and most crucial step is to call 911 and request EMS, as the effects of naloxone last only 20-90 minutes, at which time the individual may relapse. If possible, it is recommended to call 911 while readying the naloxone kit.
Inside each kit are a pair of latex gloves recommended to be worn if circumstance allows, a respiratory mask to be worn if CPR is needed, antiseptic wipes to clean the injection site, three vials of naloxone and three vanishing needles used to administer the naloxone.
It is recommended one vial of naloxone should be administered directly into a muscle, like the thigh or upper arm.
If successful, there should be an immediate reaction, however due to the effects of both the overdose and instant naloxone come-down, the individual may express irritability or aggression, so it is best to take a step back immediately after naloxone administration and remain calm in the event of such.
If administration of one dose was not successful, the second, or even third dose, can be administered by opening a new needle and vial.
It is recommended to stay near the individual until medical personnel arrive, whether naloxone administration was successful or not.
Once the above information is reviewed, training is complete and participants will be given a free naloxone kit, which they can keep in their house, work space, car or purse.
While training is recommended for those who have not previously used naloxone kits, it is not a prerequisite to receiving a kit.