Regina police sound alarm after two overdoses
The Regina Police Service issued a warning Friday about the dangers of illicit drugs after fentanyl was identified in two non-fatal overdoses that occurred this summer.
In the early morning hours of June 22, police were called to two separate, non-fatal overdoses at the same residence in the 1800 block Osler St. Both men were taken to hospital by EMS, but it was not known what caused their symptoms.
The police investigation linked the men’s conditions to the use of the same unknown substance. It’s believed the men thought they were using heroin, but recent results from a sample sent to Health Canada for analysis revealed the presence of fentanyl.
The overdoses could have been fatal if the proper steps hadn’t been taken, which is why police issued the warning, said Kim Schmidt, RPS spokeswoman.
Police caution that purchasing drugs from a dealer and not a pharmacy can result in unknown quality control and additives in the purchase.
Often, it’s not easy to tell what drug or drugs patients have overdosed on when they’re rushed to the emergency department, said Glen Perchie, executive director of emergency and EMS with the Regina Qu’Appelle Health Region.
“There can be a little bit of THC, cocaine or some sort of opiate,” he said. “When you’re using recreationally, you tend to get a mix.”
To take a pulse of the situation, EMS tracks the number of times naloxone is required to treat opioid overdoses. From Jan. 1 to Aug. 31, the opioid antidote was used in 48 of the 17,431 calls that paramedics responded to in Regina.
Perchie noted the ER data on opioid overdoses that he gets is quite retrospective, but he speaks regularly with emergency room physicians and team to stay current.
“We would all agree that we’re seeing more than we have historically, but nobody would say that we’ve suddenly had a giant spike,” he said. “We’re also aware that it is out there, and we’re watching for it all of the time.”
The region continues to upgrade its opioid training and is ramping up personal protection training for paramedics and ER staff.
If powder or other suspicious substances are seen at a call, paramedics glove up before touching the patient or anything in the room. Emergency crews also have N95 masks and gowns to put on if required.
“We’ve rarely had to do anything of the sort so far, but we don’t want to take any chances,” Perchie said. “Opiates can be absorbed by your skin, but we’re also learning that it may not absorb as quickly as we first thought.”
A provincial working group is developing staff protections to deal with opiates in the community and sharing that news with emergency departments.
“Our occupational health and safety folks are looking at the latest literature out there and that’s important because we are preparing — let’s hope we never go there — for it to be worse,” Perchie said. “But there’s a good chance that we’re going to see this increase when you look at what happens in other cities.”
He noted the preliminary data in a Government of Canada report indicated there were 2,458 apparent opioid-related deaths in the country in 2016 — although that number could change as more updated figures are available.
Based on those numbers, the apparent opioid-related death rate in Canada was 8.8 per 100,000 population. In Saskatchewan, the rate was up to 4.9 per 100,000 population.