Some people believe that when a patient has started to overdose on opiates and other drugs, there is nothing that anyone can do for them. However, it is absolutely possible to provide effective emergency assistance for patients who are in this situation. It is also possible to stop them from getting to that point in the first place.
Drug overdoses occur when patients take so much of a particular substance that their bodies are unable to process and metabolize it, and the drugs disrupt vital biological processes. The patients who have overdosed on drugs will die from respiratory failure more often than not.
Other patients may die from cardiac arrest or seizures. Something as simple as reduced blood sugar in alcoholic patients can cause those seizures, which can be fatal. Patients sometimes die from drug overdoses indirectly, which is one of the reasons why they are much more likely to survive if they get adequate medical attention quickly enough. Medical professionals can address all of the consequences associated with the overdose.
Even a few seconds can make a difference for a patient who is experiencing an overdose. When those patients are brought to the hospital immediately, they are much more likely to recover. Drug overdoses are also always preventable, at least technically.
Stopping Drug Overdoses from Occurring
Ultimately, patients who are able to stop taking drugs will not suffer from drug addictions, and treating drug addictions is the most important part of preventing overdoses of all types. However, certain variables can make the risk associated with drug overdoses that much worse. Not every patient who has a drug addiction disorder will develop a drug overdose, and certain patients will be more likely than others to eventually have a medical emergency like this.
Some overdoses happen because people make mistakes with prescription medications. It is important for the patients who receive prescription medication to stick to the prescribed medication regimen. Prescription opiates can be extremely potent, and taking the incorrect dosage on only one occasion can have disastrous results.
Taking alcohol and various drugs at the same time is dangerous. The combination of drugs can cause a multitude of problems, and it is certainly possible to overdose on alcohol by itself.
Injecting different drugs can be more dangerous than taking drugs using other methods. The chemicals will reach the brain very rapidly, and drug users will be more likely to take particularly unsafe quantities of the drug under these circumstances. Drug users can also damage their veins and other parts of their circulatory systems in the long-term, making it more difficult for medical professionals to successfully treat them when they are taken to the hospital. The people who take pills may be less likely to overdose on drugs than the people who use needles, although it is still certainly possibly to overdose on drugs using any administration method.
Drug users are also more likely to experience overdoses if they inhale their drugs of choice. Injecting a drug takes some time, and it is only possible to fit so many doses in a single syringe. However, people can inhale very large quantities of a drug very rapidly, and inhaled drugs can affect the nervous system almost instantly. Avoiding the inhalation of drugs can prevent at least some overdoses.
Patients who suffer from drug addiction disorders will steadily increase their risk of suffering from drug overdoses. They will need to take progressively larger doses of the drugs in order to feel the effects. Unfortunately, while these people may be more tolerant to the main effects of the drugs, the large doses of the drugs that they are taking are still dangerous.
Medications That Reverse Opiate Overdoses
Drug overdoses are chemical in nature, and the process of reversing these overdoses also has to have a chemical component. There are modern medications that can be used to stop an opiate overdose that is already occurring. Naloxone is the drug that is most commonly used in these situations, and its use is increasing. People will not need a prescription in order to gain access to Naloxone in many cases, although not all hospitals currently carry it.
Naloxone medication is not addictive, so medical professionals will not have to worry about their patients potentially developing new drug addictions when those patients receive Naloxone. The fact that it is possible to administer Naloxone through the nose makes it even safer to use, since some patients might have collapsed veins or circulation problems. It is also frequently easier to give medications to patients nasally, and the drug will reach the bloodstream quickly when it is delivered in this manner.
However, Naloxone may not be safe for all of the patients who use opiates, especially if the patients have particularly severe dependencies. New medications are currently being developed, which may soon give medical professionals more options when it comes to the reversal of opiate overdoses.