OD-Reversal Kit: How-To
If you suspect someone is suffering an overdose, remain calm! Their life may depend on you, and panic won’t help. Here is something that might:
ONE: Check for signs of overdose.
- Are they unresponsive?
- Do they have blue/gray skin, lips or nails?
- Can you wake them?
- Are they breathing?
- What can you hear? Gurgling, no sound?
TWO: Try to wake them.
- Shake their shoulders and shout their name.
- Make a fist and rub your knuckles hard in the center of their chest (a sternum rub).
THREE: Administer naloxone (Narcan).
If you have a naloxone kit, this is the moment to use it.
- Remove the orange cap from 1 vial.
- Take the needle/syringe out of the package, and twist the needle onto the syringe.
- Remove the needle cover.
- Insert the needle into the vial, and draw 1mL (the full vial).
- Inject into a muscle (upper arm, thigh, or butt.) straight in at 90⁰, & push the plunger all the way down.
FOUR: Perform rescue breathing.
Tilt their head back, lift their chin, and give one breath every 5 seconds.
FIVE: NO RESPONSE IN 2-3 MINUTES
Administer the second vial of naloxone, the same way as the first.
SIX: Place in recovery position.
If they’re breathing but unresponsive, bend their top leg to prevent rolling, and tilt their head slightly back.
SEVEN: CALL 911
Get help immediately!! Naloxone only lasts 30-90 minutes! Remember: in Tennessee, the Drug Overdose Immunity Law protects you from charges of simple drug possession if you’re assisting a person experiencing overdose.
The Drug Overdose Immunity Law (Tenn. Code Ann. 63-1-156) protects individuals who call for medical assistance during an overdose from prosecution for simple drug possession. While separate from the Good Samaritan Law, it aligns with the broader goal of encouraging emergency intervention. However, it does not protect individuals from charges related to drug trafficking or outstanding warrants.
EIGHT:
If they wake up, STAY CALM and explain what happened!