Continuing Crisis: What’s New in Treating Opioid Overdoses

Thursday, November 30, 2023

3:20 PM – 3:45 PM PST

Location: Town and Country Ballroom B

Primary Presenter(s)

Nathan Charlton, MD

Professor of Emergency Medicine
University of Virginia
Charlottesville, VA, United States

Disclosure(s): No financial relationships to disclose

Moderator(s)

Loralee Olejnik, MA, EMT-B

Public Health Educator
Not representing current agency
San Diego, California, United States

Disclosure information not submitted.

Disclosure(s):

Nathan Charlton, MD: No financial relationships to disclose

Summary: The landscape of opioid overdoses has shifted to more potent drugs that act and respond to resuscitation differently. This presentation addresses immediate first aid and resuscitation, access to medication assisted therapy and recovery.

Synopsis: The landscape of opioid overdoses has changed with the shift to more potent drug combinations that act and respond to resuscitation differently. In addition to immediate first aid and resuscitation, how do we get survivors access to medication assisted therapy, including naloxone and buprenorphine? And what is the role of first responsders in prevention of future overdoses, assisting in recovery from opioid use disorder and opioid overdose? As one consideration, providers should look at community outreach programs that can help access those with substance abuse disorders and reach people where they are in the community.

Learning Objectives:

Understand the changing landscape and the types of opioids currently available
Understand the changes in naloxone dosing in the setting of the fentanyl epidemic
Understand potential treatments for opioid use disorder
This presentation will include components of a high quality collaborative cardiovascular and resuscitation program in a dispatch, EMS and / or healthcare system that has demonstrated improvement in survival from SCA.