Journal article
Injection drug users trained by overdose prevention programs: Responses to witnessed overdoses
Journal of community health, v 38(1)
Feb 2013
PMID: 22847602
Featured in Collection : UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
Abstract
In response to the growing public health problem of drug overdose, community-based organizations have initiated overdose prevention programs (OPP), which distribute naloxone, an opioid antagonist, and teach overdose response techniques. Injection drug users (IDUs) have been targeted for this intervention due to their high risk for drug overdose. Limited research attention has focused on factors that may inhibit or prevent IDUs who have been trained by OPPs to undertake recommended response techniques when responding to a drug overdose. IDUs (n=30) trained by two OPPs in Los Angeles were interviewed in 2010–11 about responses to their most recently witnessed drug overdose using an instrument containing both open and closed-ended questions. Among the 30 witnessed overdose events, the victim recovered in 29 cases while the outcome was unknown in one case. Participants responded to overdoses using a variety of techniques taught by OPP. Injecting the victim with naloxone was the most common recommended response while other recommended responses included stimulating the victim with knuckles, calling 911, and giving rescue breathing. Barriers preventing participants from employing recommended response techniques in certain circumstances included prior successes using folk remedies to revive a victim, concerns over attracting police to the scene, and issues surrounding access to or use of naloxone. Practical solutions, such as developing booster sessions to augment OPP, are encouraged to increase the likelihood that trained participants respond to a drug overdose with the full range of recommended techniques.
Metrics
Details
- Title
- Injection drug users trained by overdose prevention programs: Responses to witnessed overdoses
- Creators
- Stephen E Lankenau - Drexel University, School of Public Health, Department of Community Health and Prevention, 1505 Race Street, 11Karla D Wagner - Division of Global Public Health, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, 10111 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92093Karol Silva - Drexel University, School of Public Health, Department of Community Health and Prevention, 1505 Race Street, 11Aleksander Kecojevic - Drexel University, School of Public Health, Department of Community Health and Prevention, 1505 Race Street, 11Ellen Iverson - Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, Division of Adolescent Medicine, 5000 Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90027Miles McNeely - Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, Division of Adolescent Medicine, 5000 Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90027Alex H Kral - RTI International, 114 Sansome Street, San Francisco, CA 94104
- Publication Details
- Journal of community health, v 38(1)
- Publisher
- Springer Nature
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Community Health and Prevention
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:000313727400016
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-84872688685
- Other Identifier
- 991014877870904721
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- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- Web of Science research areas
- Health Policy & Services
- Public, Environmental & Occupational Health