What to Do in the Event of an Overdose
The other day, I told you what not to do in the event that someone you are with overdoses on opiates. Here’s what you actually should do:
1 – Get Their Attention. Yell their name. Shake their shoulders. No response at all? Try again.
2 – Sternum Rub. Yes, this is exactly what it sounds like: using your knuckles, you rub the possible overdose victim’s breast bone, up and down. It’s not pleasant for the person on the receiving end, but it’s a common practice used to rouse those who’ve had too much of anything.
3 – Get Help. If neither of these measures works, then call 911 immediately. As soon as they answer, tell them if the victim is not breathing, then answer the questions that they will most likely ask: the substances taken, how much, when the last dose was. They may also request information about the person’s age and weight. If you have a pill bottle with the prescriptions that the person took, hold onto it and give it to the paramedics when they arrive.
The emergency attendant will most likely ask you to stay on the phone with him or her until help arrives. If for some reason you have to leave the victim alone, turn them on their side so that they don’t choke if they vomit.
4 – The Naloxone Option. Some people who regularly use drugs to get high (as opposed to those who use them only in an attempt to manage pain and inadvertently overdose) often choose to keep naloxone on hand in case of a situation like this. If you have this available and the person is not breathing, then give them a few breaths CPR-style before administering the shot. If the person is breathing, give them the naloxone. Use .4cc of the drug and inject it into a large muscle like the thigh. If they don’t respond within three minutes, inject another .4cc into the muscle. In between, if they aren’t breathing, keep administering CPR.
**It’s important to remember that naloxone does not flush the offending drugs out of the system though it will put the victim into immediate withdrawal. When the naloxone wears off, if the drugs are still in the system, overdose is again a possibility. Stay with the person and try to keep them from taking more drugs to mitigate the withdrawal symptoms and make sure that they don’t overdose again.
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