The opioid epidemic claims more 70,000 lives each year in the U.S., and lifesaving interventions are urgently needed.
Washington University School of Medicine Oct 23 2024 Although naloxone, sold as an over-the-counter nasal spray or injectable, saves lives by quickly restoring normal breathing during an overdose, administrating the medication requires a knowledgeable bystander – limiting its lifesaving potential.
Prescription opioids – such as oxycodone – have helped people manage the physical and mental challenges of daily debilitating pain. But the addictive properties of painkillers can lead to their misuse and abuse, which are among the driving forces behind the opioid epidemic. In addition, cheap and easy-to-access synthetic drugs – fentanyl, for example – have flooded the illicit market. Such ultrapotent drugs have accelerated the rise in overdose deaths in the U.S.
Related StoriesNaloxone displaces harmful opioids from receptors on the surface of brain cells, altering the cells' activity. But the drug doesn't stick around; when the opioids reoccupy and reactivate the receptors, overdose symptoms can return. To provide additional support, the device relays an emergency alert to first responders.
Anesthesiology Breathing Drugs Medicine Nasal Spray OCT Opioids Oxygen Pain Research Technology
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