|
The opioid epidemic continues to be a major public health concern in the United States. Treatment of opioid overdose with opioid antagonist naloxone has been a major tactic to combat the ever-increasing fatality count of death attributable to opioid use. Naloxone, an opioid antagonist, has since been formulated for emergent reversal of opioid-related overdose. Since its intra-nasal formulation received FDA approval in 2015, naloxone administration has expanded beyond paramedics, the highest level of emergency services care-provider, to include first responders such as police and fire. Naloxone has also become available to the public for administration by bystanders. According to the World Health Organization, after opioid overdose reversal with naloxone a patient should be transported and observed in a healthcare facility. Little research has been done on the consequences of bystander naloxone administration in terms of compliance with this recommendation. This study aims to elucidate such implications of bystander administration by utilizing the Statewide Opioid Reporting Directive (SWORD) database.
|