No reason to not use Narcan

County nurses promote rescue inhaler’s use to counteract Fentanyl overdoses

BY BELEN WARD BWARD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

With the number of opioid overdoses out of proportion in Adams County, nurses from the county health department are hoping to train the public to administer Narcan

“One in eight opioid overdoses in the State of Colorado in the last few years has occurred in Adams County, and in 2021 Adam County lost 187 to lifestyle opioid overdoses,” said Ellen Velez, Adams County Health Department Harm Reduction associate manager. “ e one-ineight is disproportionally high.”

“To put this matter in perspective, this is impacting our community and we want to make sure that folks are aware, trained, and understand that anyone can obtain Narcan to save a life,” Velez said.

No certi cation is required to administer Narcan to anyone within the community, family member, or friend to help save lives, she said.

“We are getting the word out around overdose prevention, “ said Michelle Wilson, Adams County Health Department Reduction Department public nurse. “ e public has access to Narcan – which reversal the overdose – and to fentanyl testing strips. It’s an epidemic happening everywhere and everybody needs to know about it.”

Wilson recalled one Saturday summer afternoon in 2021. She stopped at a 711 on Colfax and Colorado. and found a long line of people for the restroom. e patrons said they’d been in line forever.

“I went to the desk and said ‘You’ve got to let us in,’” Wilson said. Wilson said once they opened the bathroom door they found a person who had overdosed. She used a dose of Narcan and called 911. First responders were there within three minutes and the person survived.

“For that reason, carrying Narcan came in handy to save a person,” Wilson said.

Doesn’t hurt e emergency Narcan comes in a small pouch that contains two Narcan nasal sprays and step-by-step instructions. Anyone can purchase

Wilson demonstrated to the media how to administer Narcan May 8 at the Adams County Health Department.

Narcan over the counter without a prescription at any drug store, typically for $50 or less.

Wilson recommended against leaving Narcan in extreme conditions –neither too hot or too cold. e police and paramedics also carry Narcan in their vans and cars, but it’s still okay to administer it.

Wilson said Narcan will not hurt if a person is simply passed out or has an unknown heart problem.

“Narcan will not hurt someone,” she said. “It will only reverse an opioid overdose, not if you are drunk. I won’t work on benzodiazepine, which is like Valium. It won’t do anything to counteract any of those kinds of substance, it will only work for opioids.”.

But she cautioned would-be rescuers to check with the person before administering Narcan.

“If you come upon someone laying on the oor, or slumped in the chair and are not breathing or may be breathing, loudly and snorting,” she said. “You should nudge them and ask if they are okay,” Wilson said.

Wilson said if they are unconscious, they could be going into respiratory depression. If their ngernails or lips are turning purple or white, they don’t have enough oxygen. Pale skin and small pupils the size of a pinpoint are other indications.

“If they have snoring respirations shake them to wake up,” she said. “If they don’t wake up, rub their sternum very hard with your knuckles. It hurts, so if they are unconscious, they will wake up,” Wilson said.

Also, get them lying on the oor, and tip them to one side because sometimes people will vomit when they come to. If they’re in respiratory depression and dying, they won’t wake up.

“Once you lay them on one side, call 911 immediately,” she said. “Take out the Narcan, and open both doses because you may need to use both doses. It looks very similar to nasal spray. You put the nozzle in a nostril and push the plunger on the bottom. You don’t need to hold the other nostril down.”

Wilson said Narcan is absorbed by the blood vessels in the nose. Wait three to ve minutes and administer the second dose if they don’t rouse. ey shouldn’t take long to wake up, she said.

“ e reason for that is that Narcan competes with the opioid molecules in our brain, and it knocks the opioid molecules out of our respiratory system,” she said.

Calling 911 is just as important as administering the dose.

“It’s good for about 45 minutes. After 45 minutes, those opioid molecules can sort of oat back over and cause people to be respiratory depressed again,” Wilson said.

Narcan works to take people immediately out of being non-responsive to breathing, and it immediately throws them into withdrawal.

“People are going to be angry when waking up and very startled,” Wilson said. “Like I said, they might throw up, so you must be prepared. If they’re not breathing, you can do rescue breaths between that rst and second dose until the rst responders get there.”

Cancer pain treatment

Fentanyl was invented in the 1990 to treat intractable severe, cancer pain.

“ en people started producing it illegally, mixing it with pain pills such as Tylenol with codeine,” Wilson said. “It makes you sleepy or loopy.”