WESTFIELD – Narcan is not a new drug, but is getting a lot of press recently since there has been a spike in opiate overdoses with three people dying in Westfield in a six-day period, including a 16-year-old WHS student.
Westfield Fire Capt. Seth Ellis said that ambulances have been carrying Narcan (Naloxone) as a standard treatment for overdoses since at least the mid-1990s though use is on the rise.
On average over the past four years, Narcan was administered roughly “two and a half” times per month by WFD ambulance personnel, Ellis said, but last month it was administered seven times.
Narcan is also available to the public without a prescription. It is available at some, but not all, Westfield pharmacies for about $40, according to information obtained by The Westfield News from area stores.
Narcan can reverse the effects of an opiate overdose, but Ellis stressed that it should be used in conjunction with CPR and 911 should also be called.
Part of the problem is people not knowing how to use Narcan or being afraid to administer the dose and then waiting for first responders to arrive, which wastes precious time, Ellis said.
Narcan could create a sense of “false hope” if not used together with CPR and medical treatment.
Medical personnel “need to intervene beyond the incident,” Ellis said.
Heroin, which has no medicinal value, is a central nervous system (CNS) depressant or “downer,” Ellis said.
Narcan is only effective – but very effective – if someone has overdosed on heroin or any opiate such as oxycodone or fentanyl.
It is safe to administer even If the patient did not overdose on an opiate.
“Narcan is very benign,” Ellis said, “with very few side effects.”
It is an antagonist, which “occupies receptor cells that an opiate wants to fit into,” Ellis said, preventing the heroin to bind to the receptors.
The heroin lasts longer in a person’s body than Narcan, so anyone who administers it must also call 911 or the Narcan can wear off and end up being ineffectual in the long run.
Narcan can be administered intranasally (through the nose), intramuscularly (into a muscle) or intravenously (into a vein).
A layperson usually administers Narcan intranasally, which is the easiest and most common way, Ellis said.
The goal is not to get the medication into the person’s lungs because the drug is absorbed in the nose.
Anyone who has a friend or loved one who they know or suspect is using heroin, should have Narcan on hand.
Those who expect they might need to administer Narcan to someone should also be or get trained in CPR, especially rescue breathing, said Ellis.
Anyone providing rescue breathing should use a pocket mask or facial shield, prevent the spread of disease, he said.
Ellis said heroin doesn’t cause cardiac arrest, but causes death by causing the patient to stop breathing which results in cardiac arrest.
Due to a recent $7,500 grant from the State Department of Public Health, the Westfield Fire Department has now equipped all engines and vehicles, including the deputy chief’s vehicle, with Narcan.
Westfield Police Capt. Hipolito Nunez said Westfield police do not carry Narcan.
Ellis said that the Westfield Police Department was going to go in together with the WFD when the fire department applied for the health department grant last fall, but WPD was unable to go in on a joint application at that time.
“We are exploring its use,” said Westfield Police Capt. Michael McCabe.
Ellis is also planning to use the grant to provide community outreach programs and a public awareness campaign, which would demonstrate how to use Narcan as well as educate the public on the resources available to help people fight addiction.
Staff Writer Christine Charnosky can be reached at [email protected]
