The City of Coppell has updated its automated external defibrillator (AED) boxes in city buildings to include Narcan and bleeding control kits.
Adding trauma care items such as tourniquets, bandages, and overdose protection like Narcan can buy time for first responders to arrive on the scene.
"The Coppell Fire Department takes an all-hazards approach," said Coppell Fire Chief Kevin Richardson. "We aim to be prepared for any and all emergencies, and the updates to the AED boxes represent another safety measure we have in place to protect the health and safety of our community."
Equipping these boxes with everything city residents and employees need to perform potentially life-saving emergency care is vital to curating a healthy and vibrant community according to the City of Coppell.
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The AED boxes are located in city-operated facilities, including Town Center, the Cozby Library and Community Center, the Biodiversity Education Center, Coppell Arts Center, The CORE, and the Andrew Brown West Concession Booth.
What is in the AED boxes?
- AEDs are essential, easy-to-use, life-saving devices. They analyze the heart's beating rhythm, and, if necessary due to sudden cardiac arrest, they deliver an electrical shock to help the heart return to its normal rhythm.
- A bleed control kit contains all the necessary items to control intense bleeding and prevent further blood loss for a victim. These kits can be identified by a sticker and contain medical gloves, various bandages and a tourniquet.
- Narcan mist is a medication that rapidly reverses the effects of opioid overdose and is the standard treatment for opioid overdose. Easy-to-read instructions for how to use this life-saving medication are included on the package.
To locate the nearest AED box in Coppell city buildings, download the free app PulsePoint.
Narcan
WHAT IS NARCAN?
Narcan is an over-the-counter prepackaged nasal spray containing naloxone hydrochloride which is an opioid antagonist that rapidly reverses an opioid overdose, but only temporarily.
According to the manufacturer, "Narcan nasal spray is a prescription medicine used for the treatment of a known or suspected opioid overdose emergency with signs of breathing problems and severe sleepiness or not being able to respond."
According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, naloxone is an FDA-approved medication that is used to reverse an opioid overdose.
SAMHSA said because naloxone is a temporary treatment its effects do not last long and it's critical to obtain medical intervention as soon as possible after administering or receiving naloxone.
WHAT IS NALOXONE?
According to the National Institutes of Health's National Institute on Drug Abuse, naloxone is a medicine that can rapidly reverse an opioid overdose by attaching itself to opioid receptors and either reversing or blocking the effects of opioids.
"Naloxone can quickly restore normal breathing to a person if their breathing has slowed or stopped because of an opioid overdose. But, naloxone has no effect on someone who does not have opioids in their system, and it is not a treatment for opioid use disorder. Examples of opioids include heroin, fentanyl, oxycodone (OxyContin), hydrocodone (Vicodin), codeine, and morphine.
Naloxone comes in two FDA-approved forms, injectable and as a nasal spray.
Naloxone works for only 30 to 90 minutes and many opioids remain in the body longer than that. It is possible for a person to still experience the effects of an overdose after a dose of naloxone wears off so it's imperative to call 911 or get the overdosing person medical attention as soon as possible after the dose is administered.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on March 29, 2023, approved selling naloxone without a prescription, setting the overdose-reversing drug on course to become the first opioid treatment drug to be sold over the counter.
A different drug, Opvee (nalmefene) is also an emergency nasal spray medication used to reverse an opioid overdose. Opvee, however, is not approved for over-the-counter use and can only be obtained with a prescription. Nalmefene stays in the body longer than naloxone and may be more effective for overdoses caused by long-acting opioids but it also may come with more opioid withdrawal symptoms.
DOES THE FDA APPROVAL MEAN I CAN BUY NARCAN AT CVS OR WALGREENS?
Yes. Narcan is currently available over-the-counter at pharmacies.
Other brands of nasal sprays (RiVive) and injectables may also soon be available over the counter.
