Podcast 673: Leaving the ED with Naloxone 

<p><strong>Contributor: Don Stader, MD</strong></p> <p><strong>Educational Pearls:</strong></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Patients are more likely to survive an opioid overdose if they have naloxone</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">10% risk of death in the year following an opioid overdose of patients seen in the ED</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Those who receive naloxone:</span> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Have better survival rates</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Are more likely to enter recovery</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Are more likely to use the naloxone on another person who has overdosed</span></li> </ul> </li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Better to give the patient naloxone at discharge from the ED as rates of filling prescriptions are low</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Any patient who uses illicit drugs, chronic opioid medications, or opioids with benzodiazepines are good candidates for naloxone at discharge</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Remember to instruct the patient and those who live with them on how to use it</span></li> </ul> <p><strong>References</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Gunn AH, Smothers ZPW, Schramm-Sapyta N, Freiermuth CE, MacEachern M, Muzyk AJ. The Emergency Department as an Opportunity for Naloxone Distribution. West J Emerg Med. 2018;19(6):1036-1042. doi:10.5811/westjem.2018.8.38829</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Olfson M, Wall M, Wang S, Crystal S, Blanco C. Risks of fatal opioid overdose during the first year following nonfatal overdose. Dru