- What to do in case of overdose
- How to use naloxone in opioid overdose
- How the treatment is done at the hospital
- How to avoid an overdose
Overdose is a set of harmful effects caused by excessive consumption of drugs or medications, which may occur suddenly or slowly, with the constant use of these substances.
It happens when a high dose of drugs or medication is ingested, not giving the body time to eliminate the excess drug before it causes dangerous side effects. Some signs that may indicate an overdose include:
- Loss of consciousness; Excessive sleep; Confusion; Rapid breathing; Vomiting; Cold skin.
However, these signs can also vary according to the type of drug taken and, therefore, people who use a drug should try to be informed of the type of effects that may arise. Check out what symptoms of overdose can arise with the main types of drugs.
Overdose is a serious clinical condition and, therefore, the person must be evaluated quickly by an emergency medical team in order to avoid complications such as loss of organ functions, brain malfunction and death.
What to do in case of overdose
In the event of an overdose, especially when the victim shows signs of passing out or is losing consciousness, it is due to:
- Call the victim by name and try to keep her awake; Call the emergency to call an ambulance and receive first aid instructions; Check if people are breathing;
- If conscious and breathing: leave the person in the most comfortable position until medical help arrives; If unconscious, but breathing: lay the person on their side, in the lateral safety position, so that they do not choke if they need to vomit; If unconscious and not breathing: start cardiac massage until medical help arrives. Here's how to do the massage properly.
In addition, if possible, the drug suspected of causing the overdose should be brought to the emergency room, to guide medical treatment according to the cause of the problem.
If there is a suspicion that the person may be overdosing from the use of opioids, such as heroin, codeine or morphine, and if there is a naloxone pen nearby, it should be administered until arrival, as it is an antidote for that type of substances:
How to use naloxone in opioid overdose
Naloxone, also known as Narcan, is a drug that can be used as an antidote after the use of opioids, as it is able to turn off the effect of these substances on the brain. Thus, this medication is very important in case of overdose by opioids, and can save the person's life in a few minutes.
To use naloxone, place the nasal adapter on the tip of the medication syringe / pen and then push the plunger until half the contents are administered in each victim's nostril.
Normally, naloxone is offered to people who use opioids for the treatment of severe pain, but it can also be distributed to people who use opioid drugs, such as heroin.
How the treatment is done at the hospital
The treatment is done according to the type of drug used, the amount, the effects presented by the overdose victim and the time the drug or mixture of drugs was taken.
To eliminate as much of the drug from the body, doctors can do treatments such as gastric and intestinal lavage, use activated charcoal to bind the drug in the body and prevent its absorption, use an antidote to the drug or administer other medications to control the symptoms of overdose.
How to avoid an overdose
The best way to prevent overdose is to avoid using drugs, even those that are allowed, such as alcohol, cigarettes and medications, and taking medications only in accordance with medical advice.
However, in case of regular use of drugs, one must be aware that pauses in use can decrease the body's tolerance to the drug, making it easier to overdose with small portions of the product.
In addition, one should never try unaccompanied drug use, as in case of emergencies, such as overdose, help should be called urgently.
