Last week I speculated that despite increased access to Narcan, the opiate epidemic would continue to rage with deaths in 2016 exceeding those of 2015. Narcan Thoughts Sadly, this was borne out in just released data from the state medical examiner. Through the first six months of 2016, 444 people died of fatal overdoses in […]
Medical emergencies, like cardiac arrest, anaphylaxis, heroin overdose, (and being bitten by a Black Widow spider), require quick treatment to save a life. Our public health system recognizes this. We have AEDs, epi-pens and now increasing access to Narcan. All great initiatives. Before I advocate for public access anti-spider bite kits, let me address Public […]
A story on the news this week said the Hartford Fire Department has saved 136 lives with Narcan since they began carrying it last November. Â They have used it 172 times with 136 positive results, according to the article. Â (Kudos to an outstanding department!) The story also mentions the Connecticut State Police have saved 100 […]
As each of us will ultimately find ourselves before our god, many will find themselves before their paramedic. But unlike their god, their paramedic does not sit in judgement. We treat all of our patients the same. That is the creed. The man in the Mercedes Benz gets the same care as the man pushing […]
Conrad Castonguay died this week at 81. In 1992-93, he helped teach my paramedic class. Pharmacology was his specialty. He wasn’t a paramedic, but he knew what he was talking about and we paid him mind. He was a challenging instructor, and took his work seriously. It became an honor for paramedics to say they […]