'I saved a life': a heroin addict's reflections on managing an overdose using 'take home naloxone'
| Autor: | Sylvie Boulay, Damion Begley, Sanju George |
|---|---|
| Rok vydání: | 2012 |
| Předmět: |
Adult
Male medicine.medical_specialty Narcotic Antagonists Drug overdose Article Intervention (counseling) Heroin dependence Naloxone mental disorders Medicine Humans Psychiatry Heroin addicts business.industry Heroin Dependence General Medicine medicine.disease Clinical Practice Self Care Accidental Self care Medical emergency Drug Overdose business medicine.drug |
| Zdroj: | BMJ case reports. 2010 |
| ISSN: | 1757-790X |
| Popis: | Research shows that most heroin addicts, at some point in their drug using careers, accidentally overdose and that accidental overdose is the most common cause of death in this group. As most such overdoses are witnessed by other drug users or their carers, it is argued that providing ‘take home naloxone’ (a fast-acting opiate antagonist) to them (as potential witnesses to an overdose) can save lives. Despite the robust evidence base to support the feasibility and effectiveness of this strategy, its integration into clinical practice in the UK is still very limited. Here, we report the case of a heroin addict who used his take home naloxone to manage an overdose and thereby saved a life. Through this account, we hope to raise clinicians’ awareness of this simple yet life-saving intervention. We will also briefly discuss the evidence base for take home naloxone with particular reference to the UK and will also give some practical guidance to clinicians on prescribing take home naloxone. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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