While a lot of emphasis is being put on the statistics relating to overdose deaths, paramedics working on the West Shore are struggling to help the patients they save, but are still ultimately lost.

B次元官网网址淥ne of the issues we have is that naloxone has been touted as a great drug, and it is B次元官网网址� (But) itB次元官网网址檚 not the magic pill everyone thinks (it is),B次元官网网址� said Brad Cameron, B.C. Emergency Health Services district manager for Victoria. B次元官网网址淭hey depend too much on naloxone as the fix-all.B次元官网网址�

When paramedics arrive on scene and begin their assessment, Cameron said, their first concern is checking airways and airway management. As for naloxone, that comes further down the stream of care. B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e often finding weB次元官网网址檙e getting to patients and theyB次元官网网址檙e hypoxic B次元官网网址� their brains have been deprived of oxygen.B次元官网网址�

While paramedics can usually restore a heartbeat, Cameron said overdose patients are suffering an increasing number of significant brain injuries caused by a lack of oxygen. For the patients laying in local hospital beds, he added, they wonB次元官网网址檛 be leaving the same person as they came in as and some wonB次元官网网址檛 ever leave B次元官网网址� the survivors that didnB次元官网网址檛 really survive.

In January, B.C. Ambulance Service responded to 12 suspected overdose or poisoning events in the five West Shore municipalities. By Feb. 18, crews had already responded to 11 more such calls.

Paramedics responded to 157 of these calls last year B次元官网网址� up almost 50 from 2015 B次元官网网址� on the West Shore alone. B.C. Emergency Health Services could not confirm how many of those resulted in fatalities. And while those numbers include all overdose or poisoning calls, Cameron confirmed the vast majority stemmed from illicit drug use.

View Royal Fire Chief Paul Hurst noted most of the overdose calls his department responds to are believed to involve heroin. View Royal Fire Rescue responded to four overdose calls in January (with one fatality) and had already responded to six calls (again, with one fatality) between Feb. 1 and 21.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 unprecedented in my 33-year career,B次元官网网址� Hurst said. B次元官网网址淔ive years ago if you got a call for a heroin overdose that was an anomaly.B次元官网网址� Now, he said, itB次元官网网址檚 the norm. B次元官网网址淚 canB次元官网网址檛 say whether itB次元官网网址檚 fentanyl B次元官网网址� (but) we werenB次元官网网址檛 attending to heroin overdoses when it was just heroin.B次元官网网址�

With a supply of naloxone on all the departmentB次元官网网址檚 trucks, and all firefighters trained in how to administer the drug, B次元官网网址渢hatB次元官网网址檚 a massive departure from what our care and treatment model was,B次元官网网址� the chief said. Hurst added that if someone told him they would be carrying drugs on the trucks and volunteer firefighters would be administering them, B次元官网网址淚 would have told you you were crazy.B次元官网网址�

Victoria is also home to three supervised drug consumption sites, a relatively new service for the region. But those sites seem to doing their part to keep people alive, Cameron noted.

B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e not seeing people die (there) B次元官网网址� TheyB次元官网网址檙e surrounded by a team of harm reduction officers.B次元官网网址� Those individuals are trained to immediately respond if they think someone may be overdosing, he added.

B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e finding that the majority of deaths are coming from the recreational community B次元官网网址� ThatB次元官网网址檚 alarming to us as a service,B次元官网网址� he said.

With a number of recreational users found on the West Shore, Cameron noted many are using drugs alone or with people who are not trained to respond. And they are not getting the care they need early enough, even if they do have a naloxone kit.

The View Royal department has seen patients from all walks of life, in all areas of the town, and has even responded to overdose calls at family functions. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 quite remarkable to watch how this is affecting families in our community,B次元官网网址� Hurst said. B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e seeing a really wide spectrum, from teens to people in their 50s B次元官网网址� Fentanyl is not discriminating and thatB次元官网网址檚 the unnerving part.B次元官网网址�

And itB次元官网网址檚 something he really wants the public to understand.

B次元官网网址淭here is a stigma and a stereotype that surrounds illicit drug use,B次元官网网址� Hurst said. B次元官网网址淭he public has a perception B次元官网网址� all the illicit drugs are limited to the back alleys of urban centres B次元官网网址� That is so not true.B次元官网网址�

Cameron reiterated the importance of calling 911 in the event of an overdose, even if it is just suspected. Dispatchers are trained to begin a patientB次元官网网址檚 assessment and can coach callers through potentially lifesaving practices. B次元官网网址淭he earlier someone phones, the far better off everyone is B次元官网网址� ThereB次元官网网址檚 no judgment on our part,B次元官网网址� he said.

Watch for the second article in this two part series in WednesdayB次元官网网址檚 edition of the Gazette.

katie@goldstreamgazette.com