Substance Use Disorders
This section provides EMS professionals with resources and training focused on identifying, managing and responding to patients with substance use disorders (SUDs). Articles cover recognition of drug and alcohol use in the field, treatment best practices, harm reduction strategies, and the evolving role of EMS in the opioid crisis. Learn how to address provider safety, compassion fatigue and stigma, while improving patient outcomes through evidence-based care and community partnerships.
Engage your participants in pediatric resuscitation protocols, equipment and patient assessment
The Independence Day holiday can increase the number of intoxicated patients and bystanders you’re likely to encounter on your shift so be careful out there
How communities are saving lives by understanding where and when overdoses occur
American Medical Response EMT Kerstii Groce’s attorney says police never performed a sobriety test before arresting her
The Statewide Opioid Reporting Directive allows participating agencies to recognize and respond to overdose increases in their coverage area
St. Charles County Ambulance District has armed medics with screening tools and additional EMS training to get patients to appropriate definitive care
The Massena Volunteer Emergency Unit’s post was criticized by both the public and town officials
How to add intranasal drugs to the BLS scope of practice, and why it would be a valuable addition to the BLS toolbox
James Poole, 37, a former Mercy Medical Center paramedic, was accused of stealing from dozens of medication vials and replacing their contents
An attorney for the Tennessee paramedic accused of hitting and kicking an overdose patient said the paramedic was trying to revive him
Police said paramedics failed to properly assess the patient and should not have let her go to the hospital in a police car
Creating a safe scene begins with understanding how your patient’s mental and physical health connect, and in avoiding these pitfalls
University of Pennsylvania researchers said the video was as effective as in-person training at teaching bystanders to respond to overdoses
Many EMS systems are evaluating ways to mitigate the risks of refusal in post naloxone patients
Evidence-based naloxone administration recommendations to minimize risk of COVID-19 exposure and alleviate provider fear
Officials say Kelly Keene, 49, admitted to stealing vials of fentanyl and morphine while working as an EMT for Putnam County
EMS responses for opioid overdoses in Michigan were 22% higher from April to July this year compared with the same time period last year, according to state health department data
Rutherford County EMS providers will provide overdose survivors and their families with naloxone, education and other resources
Data company ESO released its mid-year report on call volume, PPE use and patient outcomes Thursday
A concerned motorist who noticed the ambulance drifting on and off the road began filming and called the police
Charleston Fire Chief Jeff Jackson said the department will work to provide more support for its members after the death of Firefighter-Paramedic Jason Cuffee
Every second counts in the prehospital environment, so it’s critical that EMS providers stay on top of the latest skills and strategies for saving lives
Some living in the area where the Valor Station is planned to be built have strongly opposed having the substance abuse and PTSD recovery center in the community
Mayor London Breed has proposed $17 million to fund the teams, which will include paramedics and behavioral health experts, for two years
Officials say the Contra Costa County pilot program will be the first to have EMS providers start buprenorphine treatment in the ambulance
Drexel University researchers reported the outcomes of the use of the app in Philadelphia over the course of a year
The widow of Winter Park Fire-Rescue Department Capt. A.J. Isaacs, who died from an overdose last year, says she believes PTSD from his work contributed to his drug use
State officials said the team would conduct outreach to overdose patients and use near-real-time EMS and hospital data to track overdose numbers
St. Petersburg fire union officials voiced concerns about the safety of firefighters and paramedics responding to some calls without police protection
Wilson County EMS will begin rolling out a program to leave behind kits that contain naloxone and materials to help dispose of opioids after overdose calls
Experts say stronger drugs and scarce treatment are leading to a sharp increase in opioid overdoses and deaths in Cook County
Police say an intoxicated man assaulted the EMS providers and broke the window of a squad car
A woman rushed the 12-week-old puppy to the fire station where medics administered naloxone using a pediatric nebulizer mask
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