Naloxone saved man’s life in Courtland area
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Naloxone is proving to be a handy resource for local police and paramedics.
Naloxone is credited with saving the life of a 28-year-old man near Courtland last week.
Near midnight on March 20, police were notified that the man was in medical distress and needed help.
“Officers arrived on scene with paramedics and identified that the male was in medical crisis from what appeared to be an opioid overdose,” Const. Ed Sanchuk, spokesperson for the Norfolk OPP, said in a news release.
“An officer and paramedic immediately administered approximately three doses of Naloxone. As a result, the male regained consciousness and began to respond. He was escorted to the ambulance outside where he was transported by paramedics to a local area hospital where he was treated by attending physicians.”
Opioid abuse and overdoses have skyrocketed across North America over the past 15 years. Norfolk and Haldimand have not been immune.
Naloxone has emerged as the front-line response of choice for police and paramedics alike. The chemical temporarily blocks the uptake of opioids in the event of an overdose, preventing them from depressing the body to the point of respiratory failure. This gives paramedics time to get overdose victims to hospital for a more permanent solution.
“Officers and paramedics attending this address were able to quickly identify an opioid overdose and saved this man’s life by administering Naloxone,” Insp. Joe Varga, head of the Norfolk OPP, said in the news release.
“When someone is overdosing, minutes can make the difference between life and death.”
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