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Overdose Introduction
Introduction Many deaths happen because people who see overdoses often don’t know what to do to help. This booklet aims to change that by giving you information on:
As well as reading about what to do:
Going to a first aid training course could help to save the life of anyone who overdoses while you’re around, or help someone else to save your life! For further information about first aid training courses, ask at your NSP or treatment program. Overdose risks Injecting drugs Mixing drugs and alcohol Using opiates when tolerance is low People who die have often overdosed before and survived. It isn’t normally ‘new users’ who overdose, it’s usually people who’ve been injecting for years. Sometimes overdoses aren’t accidental. Feeling depressed, hopeless or not caring whether you live or die can all make overdose more likely. Talking about feelings is important and can help reduce the risk of non-accidental overdose. Think about your own overdose risks. Think about the risks taken by people you know. Look after yourself. Look out for your mates. Many people who od actually die several hours after injecting heroin. Especially when they’ve taken a combination of alcohol or benzos - even speed - with heroin, methadone or morphine. This is because it takes time for drugs that have been swallowed to be absorbed into the bloodstream. So, just because someone survives the initial hit, it doesn’t mean they’re going to be OK. Methadone But, methadone is really dangerous if it is taken by people who aren’t used to it. As little as 40mg can kill an adult. Most methadone overdoses happen among those who have bought methadone from someone in treatment. The overdose risks are even higher if people take methadone and drink alcohol together, or within a few hours of each other. Myths But, if someone has taken a lethal dose of drugs there is nothing you can do to wake them up, except call an ambulance. They may then be given naloxone -the heroin antidote. Myth 1 ‘Walking people around helps’ It is also possible that as the heartbeat increases with exercise, drugs will be absorbed into their bloodstream more quickly. Myth 2 ‘Putting people in a cold shower or bath wakes them up’ Putting people in the shower or bath is dangerous because it takes time to run the bath - and they could die while it is filling. Even if they are alive when they are put in, they could easily drown if put in a bath while they are unconcious. Myth 3 ‘Hurting, hitting or burning can bring them round’ If this doesn’t wake them, they are unconscious and you need to call an ambulance and start first aid. Anything more drastic won’t make any difference to whether or not they come round, and could cause them serious injury! Myth 4 ‘Injecting people with salt water is an antidote to overdose’ Injecting salt water is dangerous because:
The idea of injecting people with salt water might have come from people seeing friends in hospital being given a saline (salt) ‘drip’ and thinking this was part of the cure. In fact the drip is put up to keep a vein ‘open’ so they can inject medication. The salt doesn’t affect the overdose at all. Calling an ambulance
However, the main reason ambulances are not called is fear that the police will show up too and:
If someone has overdosed they may die if they don’t get medical help. Your first priority should always be to call an ambulance. Remember:
Police are only called to overdose incidents where there has been a death, or where there is a risk to the ambulance crew, children or others. Police may also be called if there is a history of violence at the address where the overdose has occurred. Another way to reduce the chances of police being called is to make sure that there is no shouting or panic in the background when you dial triple zero (000). Stay calm and answer the operator as clearly as possible. If an ambulance is not called and someone dies, the police will come so that they can inform relatives and investigate the death. Calling an ambulance saves lives. The rest of this booklet has information on how to tell when someone is unconscious, and how to keep them alive until the ambulance gets there. Signs of overdose You need to know if they are unconscious. You find out by shaking and shouting at the unconscious person. If you can’t wake them or they are showing other signs of unconsciousness such as:
don’t panic. Put them in the recovery position The recovery position Take the arm nearest to you and place it across the person’s chest. Get hold of the near leg, just above the knee, and pull it up, keeping the foot flat on the ground. Keep hold of the near leg just above the knee, and while supporting the person’s neck and shoulder, roll them away from you, and onto their side. The person’s face should be pointing towards the ground. Open their airway by tilting their head back and lifting the chin. This will make sure they can breathe easily. Make sure that both the hip and the knee of their upper leg are bent at right angles. To see the recovery position Dial triple zero (000) and ask for an ambulance. Read and practise the instructions on the following pages - so that you know how to keep them alive until the ambulance gets there. What to do Giving ‘mouth-to-mouth’ 1. The person should be lying flat on their back. 2. Remove chewing gum or anything else you can see in their mouth and then lift their chin. 3. Pinch their nostrils together, using your first finger and thumb. 4. Take a deep breath and make a good seal around their lips with your mouth. 5. Blow steadily until you see their chest rise. 6 . Take your mouth away and let their chest sink right back down. 7. Repeat steps 3 to 6. To see an illustration If you are giving EAR (‘mouth-to-mouth’) and find that:
When you have completed the 5 breaths, check for a pulse. You can locate a pulse by placing your index and middle fingers in the groove of the person’s neck, between the adam’s apple and the muscle of the side of the neck. If there is no pulse, start Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) straight away. To start Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) you need to: 1. Find the place where the ribs meet the breastbone, and lay two fingers there. 2. Put the heel of your other hand on their breastbone, just above where your two fingers are. 3. Place your first hand on top of this hand, locking your fingers together. 4. Keeping your shoulders above the centre of the person’s chest and your arms straight, 5. Release the pressure, but keep your hands where they are. This is a chest compression. 6. Do 15 chest compressions within 10 seconds. 7. Give two breaths of ‘mouth-to-mouth’ within 5 seconds. 8. Continue ‘mouth-to-mouth’ and chest compressions at the rate of 15 compressions and two breaths To see an illustration If their heart starts beating again, and their colour changes from blue to pink, Published by Exchange Campaigns for Queensland Health. | ||
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