Practice makes perfect: health workers to hold Naloxone demo in effort to save lives
Posted August 26, 2018 11:18 am.
Last Updated August 26, 2018 2:45 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – Naloxone has become the go-to emergency lifeline for opioid overdoses, and with that popularity comes the responsibility of knowing how to administer it on a dime.
Dr. Aamir Bharmal, medical health officer with the Fraser Health Authority, wants people with Naloxone kits who may have forgotten some of the steps to join an online demonstration and live chat. The demo will be broadcast on Fraser Health’s Facebook page at 1:00 p.m., Monday, Aug. 27.
“So this is really an opportunity to take some time, actually reflect on the skills that you have and make sure that you are refreshed and ready for an overdose,” Bharmal says, adding that if it has been a while since people got their kit, it is a good idea to revisit the steps necessary to save someone’s life.
“This is really some time to just go through those steps, practice, and understand what to do in this type of situation.”
Demo participants will be able to ask questions during the session, which is being held ahead of International Overdose Awareness Day on Aug. 31st.
“The big thing is, really it’s about having a Naloxone kit on hand, but also, really just what we would do with a fire drill or an earthquake drill, this is the same thing. It’s really about practice makes perfect.”
It’s not just about showing people how to use a Naloxone kit, Bharmal adds.
“There are other pieces. You know, making sure that people are calling 911, that they are providing rescue breaths, and also understanding just how to recognize an overdose.”
According to the BC Coroners Service, there have been 878 overdose deaths in B.C. from January to July this year, 601 of which were fentanyl-related. That is an 11 per cent increase over last year for the same period.
