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.
Focusing on observed behavior will help protect both the individuals needing assistance and the officers responding to the situation
Chief David Lewis and Kyle Gaines join the podcast to discuss a successful MIH initiative getting patients to treatment counselors
Reach out for help today so you can fill your cup and continue providing the outstanding care your patients deserve
A woman pleaded with an EMT after stopping at Cabell County EMS to give her dog, Charlie Boy, naloxone to prevent a fatal overdose after he ate OxyContin
Police charged Troy Darin Kendall, Jr. with aggravated assault, disorderly conduct and harassment
A.J. Isaacs was an EMS captain and had been with the fire department for 25 years before dying of an overdose
New Jersey’s Health Commissioner Dr. Shereef Elnahal approved the state’s 21 mobile intensive care units carry the drug to reduce overdose deaths
Port Jervis Fire Department Firefighter Nicholas McKeon was sleeping in front of the bay doors and was killed after being struck by an ambulance responding to a call
Lawyers representing the plaintiffs across the country laid out a framework for negotiating a settlement, which could mean these communities getting billions of dollars to split
The coalition collaborates with entities throughout the community, including churches, government agencies, health care providers, law enforcement and nonprofit organizations
BLS and law enforcement naloxone administration improves already stretched EMS systems management of increased opioid overdoses
Nearly 23,000 people in Maryland have been certified to dispense naloxone and reported administering it more than 600 times since a 2013 law expanded access beyond medical professionals, according to health officials
In 2018, San Francisco paramedics administered naloxone to 1,647 people, up from 980 two years earlier, according to numbers from the city’s emergency response system
Researchers have found the Miami-Dade program has discarded 11,000 more needles than it gave out and reversed 1,304 overdoses
The prosecutor described a scene that quickly changed from a routine medical call to a chaotic, dangerous situation with multiple shots being fired by Houston and by officers trying to deal with the threat he posed
The training will enable California EMTs to administer and use naloxone, epinephrine and a glucometer, according to the California Emergency Medical Services Authority
The new AR-2 EMS unit team includes two paramedics, two case managers, one social worker and an epidemiologist
Separating fact from fiction on the opioid crisis, fentanyl and its derivatives, and community paramedicine initiatives
Treat acute cardiac syndrome patients with the appropriate order of operations, and consider when traditional treatments may be contraindicated
Naloxone administrations by the state’s emergency responders declined last year after peaking at more than 50,000 in 2017
Kevin Barker, TCGplayer’s safety officer, called 911, then administered Narcan nasal spray after recognizing symptoms of a possible overdose
It appears that public bathrooms have become the place to carry out drug transactions, Fire Chief John Jark said
The team will respond to calls involving people dealing with behavioral crises, substance-abuse issues, chronic or less-acute medical issues and social-services needs
EMS Executive Director Charles Cremeans said overdoses seem to come in waves when a new batch of heroin or fentanyl hits the streets, but is seeing an increase overall
A new partnership in the North Huntingdon and Rostraver areas is finding success in helping patients seek treatment and paramedics’ morale
EMS providers in Clatsop County consistently administer naloxone for opioid overdoses at rates higher than the state average
State and local officials believe their concerted effort to increase awareness and education, change laws and policies, and get more people into treatment may be helping
The approval is part of the FDA’s push to make the drug more readily available
Mitigate fentanyl fears with NIOSH guidance and basic PPE precautions
Medics view K2, which is sometimes dipped in embalming fluid or bug spray, as a kind of poison
A man riding with a patient during transport to a hospital was charged with theft after vials of morphine and ketamine were found to be missing
Each grant site will partner with at least 15 communities to measure the impact of prevention, treatment and recovery interventions in hospitals, behavioral health programs, and the criminal justice system
When he was released from the hospital, the man was arrested for unauthorized possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia
