The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit has issued its second overdose alert in a week.
On November 1, the Windsor-Essex Community Opioid and Substance Strategy issued an alert after 11 overdose patients were admitted to hospital emergency departments over the previous two days. Of those 11, five were confirmed to be opioid-related.
The second alert was issued because the number of EMS Opioid Surveillance reports has remained consistent.
On Tuesday, seven people were rushed to emergency departments. Of those cases, one was related to opioid use, while four were associated with the use of amphetamines.
The strategy recommends keeping a naloxone kit in your home if you or a loved one is using opioids. Its website includes a list of places where naloxone kits are available.
If you are with someone experiencing an overdose, there are five steps the strategy recommends.
- Shout the person's name and shake their shoulders
- Call 911
- Administer naloxone: one spray into their nostril, or inject vial or ampoule into their arm or leg
- Perform rescue breathing and /or chest compressions
- If there is no improvement after two or three minutes, repeat steps three and four
