Naloxone administration for suspected opioid overdose: An expanded scope of practice by a basic life support collegiate-based emergency medical services agency

ABSTRACT

Opioid abuse is a growing and significant public health concern in the United States. Naloxone is an opioid antagonist that can rapidly reverse the respiratory depression associated with opioid toxicity. Georgetown University's collegiate-based emergency medical services (EMS) agency recently adopted a protocol, allowing providers to administer intranasal naloxone for patients with suspected opioid overdose. While normally not within the scope of practice of basic life support prehospital agencies, the recognition of an increasing epidemic of opioid abuse has led many states, including the District of Columbia, to expand access to naloxone for prehospital providers of all levels of training. In particular, intranasal naloxone is a method of administering this medication that potentially avoids needlestick injuries among EMS providers. Universities with collegiate-based EMS agencies are well positioned to provide life-saving treatments for patients acutely ill from opioid overdose.

KEYWORDS:

• Collegiate-based emergency medical services
• intranasal
• naloxone
• opioid overdose

Conflict of interest disclosure

The authors have no conflicts of interest to report. The authors confirm that the research presented in this article met the ethical guidelines, including adherence to the legal requirements, of the United States.

Funding

No funding was used to support this research and/or the preparation of the manuscript.