Emergency medical services' use of naloxone has demonstrated an alarming increase amid the ongoing opioid epidemic, according to research published Aug. 10 in the CDC's most recent Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
Here are three things to know:
1. CDC researchers analyzed the rate of EMS naloxone administration events from 2012-16 using data from the National Emergency Medical Services Information System. They also examined mortality rates linked to opioid overdoses over the same time period using the National Vital Statistics System databas
2. The rate of EMS naloxone administration increased from 573.6 administrations per 100,000 EMS events in 2012 to 1,004.4 per 100,000 in 2016, marking a 75.1 percent increase. This mirrors the 79.7 percent increase in opioid overdose mortality seen during the study period, which jumped from 7.4 deaths to 13.3 deaths per 100,000 people.
3. The age distribution of patients who received naloxone from EMS resembled a similar distribution for mortality, with individuals between ages 25-34 years and 45-54 years most affected.
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