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.
A poll of nearly 600 EMS1 readers found that a stunning majority are in favor of providers being able to use medical marijuana if their state allows
Test your knowledge of intra-axial injuries, central herniation, subarachnoid hemorrhage and more
TBI risk factors, managing patient refusals and oxygenation tips for treating head injuries
Under the program, if an individual meets certain criteria, the SOBER Unit ambulance will transport that person to the sobering center on skid row
Gov. Andrew Cuomo said the state would sue pharmaceutical companies that violate rules on prescription monitoring and reporting
Officials said drug makers and distributors contributed to a “public health crisis” where patients are turned into addicts to feed corporate greed
Scientists said they have unveiled the structure of a receptor protein as it binds to a morphine-related molecule for the first time
Neighbors described a frightening scene in which seven men and two women delirious and with “glassy eyes” were wheeled out on stretchers to nine ambulances
The amount of naloxone administered by laypersons in 2017 was 232 mg, an increase of 442 percent
Each person who took a kit was taught how to administer naloxone; the effort is being funded by a federal grant
The effort operates on the long-held perception that drug addiction often starts with prescriptions and leads to more dangerous drugs
The study showed that 50 percent of patients with chronic pain who were treated with topical analgesics discontinued their opioid medications
EMS sleep practices, the opioid epidemic, community paramedicine and patient transport mark some of the biggest issues to watch in 2018
Latest data shows the age-adjusted rate of drug overdose deaths in West Virginia was 52 per 100,000 in 2016
The distributors argue that if anyone is to blame, it’s the Drug Enforcement Administration, which oversees their regulatory requirement
Police said the officers became ill after a traffic stop that resulted in two arrests and narcotics recovered
Last year marked the first time in more than a half century that U.S. life expectancy fell two consecutive years
In 2016, 42,249 people died from opioid overdoses, compared to the 41,070 people who die from breast cancer annually
Mobile treatment units equipped with paramedics will be on standby in popular town areas with sick buckets, stretchers and defibrillators
Community paramedicine, patient transport, EMS safety, the opioid epidemic and professionalism shape the last year in EMS
Researchers said they developed a vaccine that blocks the feeling of euphoria caused by opioids without interfering with other addiction treatments
Philadelphia Fire Department EMS Deputy Commissioner Jeremiah Laster said the city considered making a trip to the hospital mandatory
Angela Brewer, 46, was convicted by a jury Thursday and sentenced to 20 years in prison
“This program is another tool to save lives. We think it will make a difference,” Havelock Fire Rescue Chief Rick Zaccardelli said
It will be available only to security officers, but the hope is that it can soon be put in the hands of student residence hall advisers
Paramedic supervisor Tad Thompson said going back to the same patients multiple times is frustrating because they aren’t receiving proper treatment
The requirement for health providers to use the recently upgraded Michigan Automated Prescription System would take effect in June
By waiving the fee, Aetna said it can reduce barriers to patients getting the treatments they need
The criminal complaint said Sharon Jackson called in prescriptions using doctors’ authorization for Suboxone, Subutex, and buprenorphine for patients who paid cash
Brian Cremeans injured a firefighter and an EMS provider, and also hit a fire truck and an ambulance before driving off
Professor Matthew Becker developed a polymer mesh that releases a pain reliever over time, and dissolves into the body while remaining non-toxic
Amanda Altmann said her daughter found a wet packet she that contained heroin in the area beneath the couch
A group of surgeons at the University of Michigan are trying a new approach with post-surgical patients to decrease their risk of addiction
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