New Report Uses EMS Data to Shed Light on the Response to the Opioid Overdose Crisis

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) first labeled the rise in opioid overdoses in the U.S. an "epidemic" five years ago. Since then, the percentage of patients receiving multiple naloxone administrations (MNAs) and the number of opioid-related deaths has only continued to increase.  Emergency medical services are often the first healthcare providers to treat opioid overdose patients and can provide valuable data to aid in determining the severity and scope of the epidemic, at the national level but also in local communities. The CDC, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) collaborated on research to assess trends and factors that contribute to MNAs. The findings were recently published online in the peer-reviewed journal Prehospital Emergency Care.  The study authors analyzed three years of data from the National EMS Information System (NEMSIS) to examine demographic, geographic, clinical and operational factors associated with MNAs, and to identify opportunities to improve response and treatment. "This research is just one example of the value of EMS data for monitoring public health, conducting real-time surveillance, and analyzing prehospital assessment and care. The information collected by providers in the field will help us understand the state of the epidemic and save more lives," said NHTSA Office of EMS Director Jon Krohmer, MD.  The report's f...
Source: JEMS: Journal of Emergency Medical Services News - Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: Tags: Patient Care News Source Type: news