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.
Using community paramedicine resources to monitor opioid-addicted patients detoxing at home could relieve the burden on EMS and ERs
Sharing data across EMS agencies is one of the most effective ways to combat the opioid crisis in communities
A section chief from St. Louis considers the scope and impact of opioid response on EMS providers and the role they play in combating the crisis
A coalition of NH fire departments is lobbying for a $1.1 million initiative to place drug counselors in departments
A UK police department tweeted the unusual call and that mother and daughter were in ‘high spirits’
Maryland EMS agencies are increasingly administering naloxone to treat narcotics overdose
The thief was caught on camera wearing a camouflage hoodie and beanie opening the ambulance and removing a bag
These events generated vigorous discussion and passionate debate
A sharp increase in heroin overdoses and New Hampshire’s first-in-the-nation presidential primary are placing the issue in front of the country as candidates barnstorm the state
These are the videos that entertained EMS providers and the general public this year
Last year, the opioid toll rose to nearly 19,000 deaths, an increase of 16 percent
The man crashed his car into the jail’s front doors and then into the fence outside the building
Here’s why locking the ambulance should be a policy for every agency and a habit for every EMS provider, like wearing a seatbelt
The clinical trial aims to prove whether the drug is a viable option to reduce excess bleeding from traumatic brain injuries
New research showed that isopropyl alcohol relieved nausea symptoms for patients in the ER
Fire chief says strain on responders is a growing problem, mainly caused by young people drinking
Patient symptoms ranged from mild nausea, tachycardia and agitation to difficulty breathing and unconsciousness
Texting and other distractions while using smartphones were believed to be part of the cause, as well as drunken, drugged and drowsy driving
In EMS every decision we make is layered with risks and benefits which need to be considered
The 32-year-old man struggled with police, who used a stun gun; then went into cardiac arrest
The two paramedics said they were acting with the best intentions when they followed the driver
Combating opioid overdose epidemic, the leading cause of accidental death in the U.S., is a top FDA priority
The report calls for changes to the way first responders are equipped to treat overdoses, which are killing 44 people each day in the US
The video captures the officer trying to revive an unresponsive woman using intranasal naloxone
The 18-year-old later told police he had taken a mix of MDMA and cocaine
Whether through prescription drug abuse or IV heroin, opiate addiction is on the increase; here’s how EMS providers can recognize withdrawal symptoms and know what to do
This week’s EMS assaults roundup underlines how intoxicated patients can be a danger to paramedics and EMTs
‘Med Drunk’ is a four-minute movie written, directed and acted by intoxicated people
The collision caused the gurney in the back of the ambulance to roll out of place and pin a paramedic against the wall
Drug, alcohol and other addictions impact every family, including our EMS family; we need to know how to respond to and support an addict
Heroin use rose by about 50 percent between 2013 and 2014, according to the DEA
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