Heroin overdose

[Alexis90]

I'm assuming this is a forum from EMTs to EMTs but I need to ask a question. I am a am a recovering heroin addict and I thank god for you guys out there everyday saving people with narcan. It gave me the opportunity to not only live, but get clean. I am clean now and about to have my 1st child so thank you!! My question is...I overdosed on heroin on July 08, 2015. Was laced with fentanyl and i didnt know. When EMTs got there I was blue with no pulse. When I woke up, they had admistered narcan IO into my shin and besides being cold, that is the first thing I felt. Pain in my leg. As I came too I realize I have nothing but underwear on in the middle of the street. Bra, shirt and pants were cut off. Doc removed thing from my shin when I got to hospital and after xray I found out I had 2 broken ribs from CPR. Next day I had bruises all over me. My question is...why was narcan given to me that way and is it normal to have all of your clothes cut off? Also was the aggressiveness BC I was code? What would you have done and was this a normal OD protocol? Thank you in advance.

Edited September 29, 2017 by Alexis90
Wasn't finished

[Just Plain Ruff]

I think that your questions are much better answered by the service that helped you.  IF you have any concerns about the care you received, and it sounds like you do, please contact the ambulance service that took care of you.  but here goes some explanation for you

Not surprised that you have a broken rib or two.  Bruising can also happen post CPR.  

IO in the shin is one way to gain access to your system especially if you have veins that are very hard to access.  The protocol of the service may be that All arrests get an IO, not sure. 

I cannot answer the narcan question on your situation.  

Im very glad you are recovering and are no longer taking those drugs.  You were very lucky, you could have been a statistic rather than a recovering addict.  Good luck in your future endeavors.  

[Suprchkn]

The seriousness of your condition is why they were more aggressive compared to a normal opiate OD. If they had arrived on scene even a few minutes later, in all likelihood you would have died. In a typical OD, the patient has decreased respirations and is unresponsive due to the lack of oxygen. In that case, EMS would start breathing for you with a bvm and give narcan either IV, IM, or IN and you'd wake up and be fine in a few minutes. You had progressed to the point where you we're already in cardiac arrest. So at that point, they cut off your clothes to put defibrillator pads on and check for injuries since you were lying in the street (they don't know if you were hit by a car). The broken ribs are fairly common after CPR because they need to push 2 inches deep in your chest for the compressions to work. In a cardiac arrest they usually start an IO because it's quicker plus heroin addicts typically don't have very good veins. The IO allowed them to give you Narcan faster and its also a quicker way to give cardiac meds to restart your heart. Hope that helps.

[Off Label]

Glad you're OK and doing well.