“People who overdose don’t have a second chance,” John Letendre, continuum of care facilitator of Cheshire Medical Center said.
The Wellness Center sponsored a Narcan training event on March 21, during which Letendre demonstrated how to use a Narcan and discussed some common misconceptions about the device.
Narcan is a nasal spray that is able to reverse the effects of an opioid overdose by blocking the receptors for opioids, but it will only work if there are opioids in the person’s system.
“It’s the bully on the playground,” Letendre said.
Directions on how to use Narcan nasal spray are located on the exterior and interior of the box, as well as on the actual packaging for the nasal spray itself, Letendre said.
Unlike typical nasal sprays like saline, sprays, or Afrin, Narcan is inserted into one nostril and is only good for one use, said Letendre. Each box comes with two doses.
However, it can take many times for the spray to work, with how strong some street drugs are, Letendre said.
He noted that Narcan only lasts for 30 to 90 minutes. When bringing somebody back, they can easily fall back into an overdose. In the event that it occurs, people should readminister Narcan. A person can give someone experiencing an overdose as many doses of Narcan as it takes to be successful, he said.
If the Narcan does not end up working, you can try readministering it again as many times as needed every two minutes, he said.
If the person regains consciousness, the person who administered the Narcan should let them know they overdosed and you gave them Narcan, Letendre said.
When encountering someone you suspect is overdosing, Letendre explained that you should always check the scene first because it might not always be an overdose, and you should check for your own safety.
Next, you should get help by calling 911. Good Samaritan laws protect you from getting in trouble with law enforcement for having small amounts of drugs and drug paraphernalia, as they are concerned with helping the person overdosing first, he said.
Sometimes, you are able to get their attention first before having to administer Narcan. Letendre demonstrated that you can take your knuckle and give them a sternum rub with it. If that strategy does not yield success, administer the Narcan nasal spray.
Letendre said you should put the person overdosing in the recovery position as well. Doing that, it will prevent them from choking and allow for easier breathing. In order to put someone in that position, you put one area at a right angle and the other next to the cheek, and have their one knee bent and on their side. Letendre said their right side should be facing up.
A few signs someone might be overdosing are loss of consciousness, unresponsiveness, pinned pupils, shallow breathing, and vomiting, Letendre said.
“You never know, it’s unexpected…mistakes or somebody thinks they get something from their cousin and it’s not what they think it is. They’re trying to be safe, but the product isn’t safe,” said Letendre on why it’s beneficial to know how to use Narcan and why someone should have it.
Some common misconceptions about Narcan are that you can use it to get high. Someone can not get high off of Narcan, Letendre said. Narcan can also be used on anyone, he added.
One thing to note is, even though Narcan does expire, Letendre said to use it because it can still work.
Narcan kits can be found at The Doorway through Cheshire Medical Center located at 24 Railroad St., Keene, N.H. Letendre said The Doorway provides Narcan for free.
Tim Bruns can be contacted at
tbruns@kscequinox.com
