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.
Our co-hosts discuss the pros and cons of industry personnel using medical marijuana to work through issues of depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress
Climate change, connectivity, value-based reimbursements will shape the coming year in EMS service and delivery
Integrate data from EMS, fire and law enforcement to identify trends and community needs across disciplines
Naloxone administration by BLS providers and laypersons is the latest intervention to transition from paramedics to firefighters and bystanders
The follow-up visits will be made to put Narcan into the hands of caregivers and addicts
Aron Mack Smith, 24, was found unconscious on the sidewalk of an intersection; he became responsive and uncooperative after Narcan was given
The 23-year-old man was charged with driving with a suspended license and driving under the influence; a paramedic was ticketed for failure to yield
The man’s blood-alcohol level was three times the legal limit; the kids are now in the care of their mother
Officials said fire and EMS departments have been going on 10 to 12 overdose calls a day this year
The rationale for firefighters being equipped with the medication was a spike in overdose drug deaths
The man was found unconscious inside a Wal-Mart bathroom; crews administered Narcan to reverse the overdose effect
Critics say the current system encourages the overprescribing of addictive drugs, fueling an epidemic of overdoses tied to the opioid medications
Maia Szalavitz’s “Unbroken Brain: A Revolutionary New Way of Understanding Addiction,” argues for a radical rethinking of addiction with a new emphasis on learning
Over 16 months, 63 flakka users died of overdoses, accidents, suicides and homicides; about three months ago, it all stopped
A total of 42 people have been treated for overdoses and 10 have died since March 23; officers are investigating the source of the contaminated painkillers
The paramedic found the man not breathing and turning blue; after administering two doses of Narcan, the man woke up and attacked the medic
A review of the performance of ketamine in the agitated or excited delirium patient with an acute and potential life-threatening medical condition
An especially potent batch of heroin mixed with fentanyl killed two men in the last week; officials said six of the seven drug overdose deaths in the county this year involved fentanyl
Tessie Odom Smith spent 22 days in intensive care following the crash; she was escorted home by firefighters and medical personnel
What the federal government’s changing stance on opioid overdose epidemic means for EMS
In the last week, 28 people have overdosed and six have died in relation to the street sale of tablets that are believed to contain fentanyl
Learn how to anticipate, recognize, and manage violent patient encounters to minimize danger to yourself and the patient
The woman assaulted the paramedic while she was being transported to the hospital; she was arrested and charged with assault
The man, who was on synthetic marijuana, kicked a paramedic in the head, knocking him out and giving him a concussion
The hospital has been using opioid alternative protocols in its emergency room to reduce the amount of patients prescribed opioids
The proposed rule will include a commitment from 60 medical schools to heighten training for prescribing opioids
Tessie Odom Smith has undergone five surgeries and is now breathing on her own
The new labels are part of an attempt to stem the rise of addiction and overdose deaths tied to opioid painkillers
The bill would require hospitals to document every time someone is treated with naloxone and the number of individuals who accept or decline a trained recovery coach
