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Tuesday, August 16, 2016

HFD: SAVING LIVES WITH NARCAN

FROM HFD:

 Reginald Freeman, Chief of the Hartford Fire Department, would like to recognize the efforts and personnel of the Emergency Services division for their life saving and professional administering of naloxone (also known as Narcan) since November of 2015. Out of 172 instances that the drug has been used in unresponsive and non-breathing patients, 135 lives have been saved. That number equates to a 78.5% save rate.  Narcan (naloxone) is a prescription medicine that blocks the effects of opioids and reverses an overdose. It is reflective of the training and recognition of the need for the drug by our first responders that 135 people are still with their families and loved ones.
The Hartford Fire Department is committed to providing the best emergency response care to its residents and visitors. The utilization of this life saving drug has assisted the fire department in meeting the standard of the department's motto.
"We serve to save."

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Is there a three Narcan strikes and you're out?

KEVIN BROOKMAN said...

I would have to do more checking on that. I don't think there is any limit on "repeat customers" but I do think the protocols only allow Narcan to be administered to the same person twice in a 24 hour period.

Anonymous said...

Kevin, I said it with a little cynicism although I totally support this rapid fix, excuse the expression. A more radical approach would be to decriminalize heroin and distribute it along with a needle exchange, in Methadone clinics at a small fee. There is only upside no downside because here, we are only allowing confirmed addicts to get on this proposed program. But it will never come to fruition, of course.

Anonymous said...

Considering that this is a State mandated band-aid program, is the city being reimbursed for costs of the Narcan and associated training? It's great that lives are being saved but if there is no follow up or treatment, you are ultimately just prolonging their deaths, not saving their lives. Much like the gubment "free" needle exchange program, it does nothing to address the underlying problem. It is not a "fix" as 4:10 stated. It is just enabling destructive behavior of the individual using the substance.

Anonymous said...

@1:20

If it was your family member, you might have a different opinion. Then again, your misanthropic side may be that invincible.

peter brush said...

While paramedics have carried naloxone for decades, law enforcement officers in many states throughout the country carry naloxone to reverse the effects of heroin overdoses when reaching the location prior to paramedics. As of July 12, 2015, law enforcement departments in 28 states carry naloxone to quickly respond to opioid overdoses.[32]

In Australia, as of February 1, 2016, naloxone is now available "over the counter" in pharmacies without a prescription.[33] It comes in single use filled syringe similar to law enforcement kits.
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I think I'd favor legalizing naloxone here. I'd really prefer to lend our junkies to Australia, if not Singapore.

Anonymous said...

I say use the narcan but require mandatory death sentence for possession and sale of heroin like china and saudi arabia does. As a result these two nations do not have a heroin problem kevin. Sometimes one has to think outside the box.

Anonymous said...

@ 9:17

You must be one of those people who want to help the homeless by giving them shopping carts and tutorials on dumpster diving. I have no hate for addicts. I've lost several beloved members of my family to substance abuse and my Mother was almost killed by a drunk driver that blew through a red light. He was on his third DUI already. She spent six months in intensive care and suffers with the pain every day. So having been educated about substance abuse and abusers, I know an enabler when I see one.

It seems like you want to keep people addicted rather than help them. I don't see the love in that.