Suspected opioid overdoses seen in emergency departments across the U.S. increased by nearly 30 percent between July 2016 and September 2017, according to the CDC's March 6 Vital Signs report.
The report used data on ED visits from July 2016 to September 2017 from the CDC's National Syndromic Surveillance and Enhanced State Opioid Overdose Surveillance programs.
Here are four things to know.
1. Regionally, EDs in the Midwest saw the largest jump in opioid overdoses, with an increase of 69.7 percent, followed by the West (40.3 percent), the Northeast (21.3 percent), the Southwest (20.2 percent) and the Southeast (14 percent).
2. Out of 10 states that saw significant increases in opioid overdose ED visits,Wisconsin had the largest increase (nearly 109 percent), followed by Delaware (105 percent). Kentucky saw significant decrease (15 percent).
3. Opioid overdoses increased by 30 percent for men and 24 percent for women.
4. CDC officials said health departments can help reduce overdose-related ED visits by increasing naloxone distribution, easing access to mental health services and medication-assisted treatment and supporting programs aimed at reducing harms from opioid injection.