A Death in Rehab
Programs that treat people with significant addiction histories are always vulnerable to incidents such as this. It would be called a ‘sentinel event’, meaning one that resulted in death (or near-death).
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A Possible Breakthrough involving Fentanyl
Where fentanyl is present, single doses of naloxone often prove inadequate.
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CDC Releases New Opioid Guidelines
…these guidelines contain many best practices that, had they been in place in the 1990’s, and enough prescribers had followed them, we might well have avoided the worst of the prescription painkiller epidemic
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Quick Update– Opioids & Something New
It appears that the presence of other drugs in the fentanyl and heroin currently flooding our streets has made naloxone, the opioid antagonist that is our primary weapon against OD fatalities, far less likely to be effective.
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Chasing the Rainbow (Fentanyl)
I think poisoned Halloween candy would be extremely unlikely but potentially devastating to whoever was unfortunate enough to be on the receiving end.
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Lessons Learned– Again
Hint: Just insisting that you’re not bluffing this time won’t convince that young man, or many others of his kind. He’ll need to be shown.
In an atmosphere such as this – already ‘spoiled’, we might say – any response must be carefully thought through and planned.
An Overdose In LA
“They just assume that adults will lie to them about such things. And that their peers won’t.”
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The Opioid Epidemic – What Comes Now?
Some experts have predicted a fourth wave, featuring fentanyl in combination with other addictive drugs, such as methamphetamine, cocaine, and benzodiazepine sedatives.
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What About Safe Injection Sites?
They’ve been shown to reduce the likelihood of an overdose fatality, but also to reduce the risk of disease and disease transmission; increase access to needed services…and to some extent, reduce criminal conduct.
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Walgreens Rides Alone
One thing that emerged is that Walgreen’s own pharmacists had made repeated attempts to convince corporate leadership to establish a central database of suspicious purchases, and the customers who made them.
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A Problem In Prescribing — Part 2
I did ask a veteran ER physician for one suggestion that he felt would actually help both doctor and patient in the ER setting. His answer: Peer Support services.
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Fentanyl Sneaks In
There’s a long history of people dying from the cocaine-opioid combo, commonly known as a ‘speedball’. The actor John Belushi is one. Philip Seymour Hoffman, River Phoenix are others. We could go on.
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A Problem in Prescribing?
…no more than 7.4% of overdose patients had received a prescription for naloxone following an overdose. That covers both the initial visit and any follow-up contacts the hospital required.
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