Overdose Awareness Resources

Overdose Awareness & Assistance Resources

How to Recognize & Help Someone Experiencing an Opioid Overdose: Steps

Step 1: Recognize an Opioid Overdose

• Unconscious
• Very small pupils
• Slow or shallow breathing
• Choking sounds, snore-like gurgling noise
• Vomiting
• An inability to speak
• Faint heartbeat
• Limp arms and legs
• Pale skin
• Purple(light skin)/grey (dark skin) lips and fingernails

Step 2: Check for Responsiveness

• Call the name of the person loudly
• Do a knuckle rub on their sternum if they don’t respond
• Put your ear next to their mouth to listen/feel for breathing
• Look to see if their chest is rising and falling

Step 3: If they are not responding call 911, then start rescue breathing.

• Clear airways
• Tilt head back and chin up
• Close their nose
• Cover their mouth with yours
• Give one normal breath every five seconds for 30

Step 4: Administer Naloxone (injectable) or Narcan (brand name of Naloxone, nasal version).

Administering Narcan (nasal)

• Open package
• Tilt their head back
• Support the back of their neck with your hand
• Hold Narcan between index and middle finger with your thumb on the plunger
• Insert the nozzle into one nostril until your fingers are touching their nose
• Press plunger firmly to give dose
• Alternate nostrils when giving multiple doses

Administering Naloxone (injectable)

• Naloxone goes in big muscles (thighs, butt, arm)
• If possible, swab the area with an alcohol wipe
• Needle can go through fabric, if needed
• When injecting through pants, make sure pockets are empty, so you don’t break your needle on keys or phone
• Remove the orange cap
• Draw up the whole vial into needle
• Insert the needle at a 90-degree angle straight into the muscle Inject all of it
• Safely dispose of needle in a sharps container

Step 4: After Giving First Dose

• Continue rescue breathing
• Give them 1 breath every 5 seconds for 3 minutes
• If they are not breathing for themselves by then administer another dose
• Continue this process until the person is breathing for themselves, or until the paramedics arrive and take over

 

Rescue Position

• Put them on their side
• Bend their top knee in front of them
• Bend their bottom arm up and put their top arm under their face

Important to Note:

• Naloxone will wear off in 30 minutes to an hour. A person could go back into overdose.
• When a person is given Naloxone they go immediately from very high to withdrawal.
• Don’t let them use again. This could cause them to go back into overdose. They should start to feel better as the Naloxone wears off.

Review of Steps

• Check for responsiveness
• Call 911
• Breath for them for 30 seconds
• Give 1st dose of Naloxone
• Continue breathing for them for 3 minutes
• Give them a 2nd dose, if necessary
• Continue until they are breathing on their own or paramedics arrive

Downloadable Printout here: Naloxone Handout

Narcan / Naloxone Training Video: Training Video

Narcan / Naloxone Training Video, Spanish: Training Video