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.
Opioid settlement funding will continue for 11 to 18 years, and it is expected that more settlements will be forthcoming. Is your agency getting its share?
Drs. Antevy, Piehl, Spiro, Scheppke, Bernstein and Kupas discuss ketamine and other sedatives, and how to minimize risk when administering
Looking back into the data on EMS activations and trends, and looking forward in hope
Grants were awarded for ideas that include development of pain management alternatives and a mobile app to improve addiction treatment
Lisa Cassidy took action after noticing the amount of opioid overdose calls crews with St. Charles County Ambulance District were running
An investigation found that addicts have been using gift cards to target major retailers and their store-return policies to pay for drugs
Officials said the Appalachian region has been ground zero for the opioid problem in recent years
The family was walking through a neighborhood when the 1-year-old got hold of a small plastic bag and put it in her mouth
Bad Batch Alert is an anonymous texting service that uses data to track fentanyl overdose hotspots and points users in the direction of harm reduction services
"… not my addiction” humanizes opioid addiction and affirms the paramedic reviewer’s belief in the importance of compassionate treatment
The recommendations will focus on law enforcement, prevention and harm reduction, and treatment and recovery
Richard Bryan was arrested for possession of a controlled substance and criminal recklessness after possibly dumping fentanyl on the floor of an ambulance
Changes include the addition of narcotic antagonists, tourniquet applications and wound packing use
More than 64,000 died of drug overdoses last year in the U.S., most from opioids
The monthly injection has the potential to reduce dangerous relapses that occur when patients stop taking the currently available daily medication
The president gave his third-quarter salary to the Department of Health and Human Services to help “drive action” in the fight against opioids
The Unified Fire Authority will also teach everyone how to use the kit in an effort to teach the public how to reverse overdoses
Joseph Amello was sentenced to 30 months in prison and three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to deception, fraud, and forgery
Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced that Kellyanne Conway will coordinate the government’s response to the opioid epidemic
Port of Seattle Fire Captain David Washington rescued Zachary Oehrke after he overdosed in an airport bathroom
It wasn’t said how the drug entered the child’s system; the parents were arrested and both pleaded not guilty
The petition asks city leaders to criminally charge individuals who suffer from drug overdoses and receive medical attention
Officials said a cleaning crew and a hazardous materials team are working to clean up affected areas
The Tomah VA Medical Center was recognized by a couple who lost their son to an overdose for their strides to focus on patient-centered care
Police said they found Deanna Reyneveld crawling on the floor and swinging her arms “like a small child”
Jason Laut was convicted of wire fraud, falsifying narcotics logs, aggravated identity theft and tampering with fentanyl
The amount was more than six times higher than previous studies, accounting for around 2.8 percent of gross domestic product
Justin Nelson was charged with a DUI after he almost hit the ambulance with his Ford F-250 that was hauling a camp trailer
The three organizations are working together to develop an evidence-based guideline for naloxone administration
A regionwide project involves sending “recovery coaches” to hospitals as living proof that addicts can get better
The medications were approved statewide in September, and the town had been awaiting state-approved training protocol
University of North Dakota student Tristan Meadows wants to get 50 Narcan kits into the hands of leaders across campus
