Opioid Overdose Shuts Down Lungs, Brain. Here’s How Narcan Is Reversing Fentanyl’s Grip On North Carolina

Overdose deaths are a widespread problem North Carolinians have been struggling to combat in recent years.

According to the state health department, American Indian/Indigenous and Black communities are the most at risk. From 2019 to 2021, both populations saw reports of overdoses more than double. The number of overdoses is up 117% for the Indigenous population and 139% for Black people. Overdoses increased 53% among white people during the same timeframe.

The problem has only been exacerbated by a rise in illegally manufactured fentanyl.

The state reports an estimated 77% of overdose deaths in 2021 likely involved fentanyl.
Estimates from the North Carolina Office of the Chief Medical Examiner show roughly 11.4 people died each day from overdoses in 2023.

In Wake County in 2023:

  • Wake County EMS responded to 1,268 suspected overdoses
  • Wake County EMS administered 1,578 doses of Narcan
  • Wake County EMS left behind 132 Narcan overdose reversal kits

The danger of fentanyl not only lies in its widespread availability state-wide, but in the drug’s potency itself.

According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, fentanyl is considered 100 times more potent than morphine.
How quickly the drug can lead to an overdose largely depends on how fentanyl gets into someone’s body. Your body may take more time to absorb the drug than if
fentanyl is inhaled or injected.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse reports synthetic fentanyl is illegally sold in several ways including as a powder, eye drops, nasal spray, pills or dropped onto blotted paper.
Once fentanyl gets into your system, the drug binds to opioid receptors in the brain. These receptors control things like emotions and pain.
Fentanyl can then keep your brain from telling your vital organs how to function properly by depressing the central nervous system and respiratory function, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

When someone’s lungs aren’t told to expand and contract properly, their body starts to lack sufficient oxygen supply.

Without enough oxygen, someone can lose consciousness in a matter of seconds. Studies of patients who have needed help breathing after a traumatic brain injury or stroke found the brain uses about 20% of the body’s oxygen.

Without enough oxygen supply, the brain can shut down within minutes. This can then lead to permanent brain damage or death once other organs stop functioning properly due to a lack of blood flow.

The medication naloxone has emerged as a powerful antidote for opioid overdoses.

The CDC reports that naloxone can reduce the effects of several opioids including, fentanyl, morphine, heroin, oxycodone, methadone, hydrocodone, codeine and hydromorphone.

When the overdose-reversal medication was first approved, it was sold under the brand name Narcan.
Naloxone works by binding to opioid receptors in the brain and essentially blocks and reverses the effects of other opioids.

The medication allows for the body’s response system to switch back ‘on’ and restore normal breathing.

The medication comes in two FDA-approved forms: a nasal spray or an injection. Naloxone is available for over-the-counter purchase.
North Carolina has 50 Syringe Service Programs across 58 counties. The state health department reports the programs collectively distributed over 109,000 naloxone kits from 2022-2023.

During the same timeframe, the state tells WRAL News there were nearly 17,000 overdose reversal reports.

Naloxone will not harm someone who hasn’t taken an opioid, so it is recommended even when it is unclear what kind of drug a person has taken.

More than one dose may be needed because some opioids, like fentanyl, can take a stronger hold on the opioid receptors.

Narcan may only work for 30-90 minutes, but some opioids remain in the body for a longer time. Those administering naloxone are highly encouraged to call 911, because someone may once experience the effects of an overdose again after the medication wears off.
North Carolina became the first state in the country to begin an EMS Naloxone Leave-Behind Program in 2018. The initiative allows first responders to leave a naloxone kit with an individual who refuses the option to go to a hospital after an overdose.
Other states, including Arizona, and cities like San Franscico, have since molded similar programs on North Carolina’s success.

Other states, including Arizona and San Franscico, have since molded similar programs on North Carolina’s success.

Source: https://www.wral.com/amp/21525957/ July 2024

Filed under: Fentanyl,Health,Social Affairs :

Back to top of page

Powered by WordPress