Naloxone: A Case Study

Narcan is the brand name, and most commonly known and used name, for the drug Naloxone. It works by reversing the effects of opioids, particularly during an overdose. It is administered by injection into a person experiencing an overdose. Narcan works specifically against opioids and does not counter the effects of other types of drugs, alcohol, or other sedatives or stimulants. Opioids include heroin and prescription drugs such as oxycodone, fentanyl, hydrocodone, codeine, and methadone. When a person is experiencing an overdose, his or her breathing can slow down even to a point of stopping; this presents as an unconscious state that is hard to wake someone from and can lead to death. Narcan attaches to the same parts of the brain that receive heroin and other opioids, and blocks the opioids for approximately 30-90 minutes to reverse the respiratory depression. Over the past ten years, opioid overdoses have drastically …show more content…
This was the Cape Cod bubble; the one I lived in but didn’t have to acknowledge because I was fortunate to make good choices with my own life. This wasn’t “the city”; it was my friend; it was a son of great parents who own a well-known restaurant that we all frequented after surfing all day; it was a record holding athlete from Nauset. In 2015, when I took the Civil Service Exam for the second time and declared my residency in New Bedford, I knew I was ready to enter law enforcement with a clear mind and sense of purpose. At this point in my life I knew I had done, seen, and experienced quite a bit that had already shaped who I was and where I wanted m life to go, but perhaps losing this was the final experience I needed to prepare myself for the experiences and decisions I will make going forward with the City of New