| Hans-Günter Meyer-Thompson | International
USA. Emergency Departments Can Help Prevent Opioid Overdoses
USA. Emergency Departments Can Help Prevent Opioid Overdoses
One of the biggest risk factors for overdose death from opioids is having had a previous overdose. Common sense and a growing body of research suggest that patients with opioid use disorder (OUD) who receive acute care in an emergency department will be at reduced risk for later overdose if they are initiated on medications to treat their OUD. Unfortunately, too few emergency departments (EDs) are making this a standard practice, and lives are being lost as a result. (NIDA, Nora’s Blog, 27.08.2019)