Opportunities for Prevention and Intervention of Opioid Overdose in the Emergency Department

Consider "Jane," a 30-year-old female patient brought in by emergency medical services (EMS) to the emergency department (ED), reflecting just one of more than 100,000 opioid overdose patients treated in EDs each year. Naloxone, an opioid antagonist and overdose reversal drug, was administered in the field by EMS; however, additional rounds of naloxone were required in the ED because of high opioid potency. Once she was stabilized, a quick review of her chart revealed several recent visits for opioid-related overdoses.

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