Interesting data on prehospital naloxone use in NC. This is from our allies at EMS.... A Description of Prehospital Naloxone Administration in North Carolina Antonio Ramon Fernandez, Tom Mitchell, Michael Mastropole, Jeff Robertson, Scott K. Proescholdbell, James Winslow, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina Office of EMS Background: Drug overdoses are currently the leading cause of injury related death in the United States. Prehospital naloxone administration is a lifesaving intervention for patients experiencing opioid-induced respiratory depression. The objective of this study was to describe prehospital naloxone administration in North Carolina (NC). Methods: This retrospective study used the NC State EMS Data System. All patients who received prehospital naloxone from January 1, 2010, to December 31, 2013 were included. Naloxone emergency call rates were calculated per 100,000 persons, using available Census data. Incident Rate Ratios (IRR), 95% Confidence Intervals (95%CI), and p-values were calculated to assess changes in call frequency and statewide, urban, and rural comparisons were examined. As a secondary objective, descriptive statistics were calculated examining patient demographics Results: From 2010 to 2013, emergency calls in NC requiring prehospital naloxone administration increased from 3,616 (37.9 times per 100,000) to 4,965 (50.4 times per 100,000). Adjusting for NC population, this represented a significant increase of 32.9% (IRR: 1.33, 95%CI: 1.27-1.39, p
Posted on: Mon, 22 Dec 2014 11:47:38 +0000
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