Understanding the way to establish and overdose and the way to cope with it might save a life. In 2023, over 1100 folks died from a drug overdose in Scotland alone.
What’s an overdose?
An overdose is when somebody takes an excessive amount of or greater than the advisable dose of a substance. This can be deliberate or unintended.
The commonest sort of overdose as of late are with Opioids similar to heroin, morphine, methadone or Depressants similar to benzos (diazepam), tramadol, temazepam, alcohol or gabapentin. Many overdoses are brought on by, or made extra difficult by, the usage of a cocktail of various medicine.
You don’t have to know what they’ve taken however conserving any luggage or particles you discover them with and handing them to the Emergency Providers is vital. Don’t put your self in danger dealing with sharp objects similar to needles.
What are the indicators and signs of an overdose?
Understanding the indicators and signs of an overdose in comparison with different diseases is time vital as your response
- Unconscious or not responding to voice instructions or contact.
- Color could also be blue or gray particularly across the lips
- Pores and skin is clammy or waxy to the touch
- Pupils are very small (pinpoint) and don’t react to mild. With some medicine, nonetheless, the pupils could also be enlarged.
- Respiratory could be very sluggish, shallow, irregular or absent. There may additionally be a loud night breathing or rasping noise.
Coping with an overdose
- If they’re respiratory, put them within the restoration place. Watch a brief video on how to do that.
- If they aren’t respiratory, telephone 999/112 and begin CPR instantly and get a defibrillator (AED). Watch a brief video on the way to do CPR and use a defibrillator.
- Administer Naloxone you probably have it. (Extra on this beneath)
- Stick with the casualty. Monitor any adjustments to respiratory or consciousness.
- DO NOT stroll them round, put them in a bathe or bathtub or slap them.
The way to use Naloxone in a drug overdose state of affairs
Naloxone is a medicine that may quickly reverse the results of opioid medicine. Most overdoses contain a number of substances and it ought to at all times be suspected that opioids are concerned. Naloxone will act on the opioid part of the cocktail of medicine they’ve taken thereby lowering the general impression of the overdose.
Within the UK it’s completely authorized for anybody to manage naloxone to anybody for the aim of saving a life, no matter whether or not or not they’ve had coaching. Coaching is suggested although! Naloxone kits can come as both a pre-filled syringe or a nasal spray model.
Administering naloxone shouldn’t be an alternative to calling an ambulance.
The way to use Naloxone by injection.
Naloxone kits are available a sealed field with a pre-filled syringe which has black marker strains alongside the syringe. Every line represents a dose of Naloxone.
- Open the field by twisting it and take the syringe out of the pack.
- Twist the needle into place.
- Maintain the syringe and push it into the outer thigh or higher arm muscle. Push the syringe plunger to the primary black line.
- If no response, repeat each 2-3 minutes pushing the syringe to the subsequent black line.
- Place the needle again within the field between injections.
The way to use Naloxone by nasal spray
- Take the spray out of the field – DON’T check it as there’s solely 2 nasal kits within the field.
- Tilt their head again
- Put the nasal spray right into a nostril and press the plunger till it clicks
- If no response after 2-3 minutes use the second spray package.
Extra info and e-learning about medicine, Naloxone and drug associated points may be discovered on the Scottish Medicine Discussion board web site and Free Naloxone kits may be ordered from them. It additionally contains free on-line programs that cowl a variety of drug associated matters. In different international locations, Naloxone may be ordered normally free from GPs, by way of Chemists or Drug Advisory and Help teams.
Get assured – get skilled!
To arrange for the worst why not contemplate taking a primary support course so you possibly can handle an incident if one happens. To search out out which first support course is finest for you take a look at our full vary of First Assist programs.
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