Follow these S.A.V.E M.E. steps to respond to a suspected opioid overdose.
Steps
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| Stimulate | Call out to the person and if no response, gently touch to wake them. If no response, apply painful stimuli such as a trapezius squeeze or sternal rub to elicit a pain response. If still no response, immediately call 911. |
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| Airway | Look in the mouth to remove any foreign objects that may be blocking the airway such as needle caps, gum, food or vomit. Once the airway is clear, roll the person onto their back and use the head-tilt chin-lift or put the person’s head in a sniffing position. |
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| Ventilate | Apply the face shield while pinching the nose, and provide two breaths; initially maintaining the head-tilt chin-lift position and watching for the chest to rise and fall. If the person remains unresponsive, give one breath every five seconds while counting out loud (one one thousand, two one thousand…). If you have two responders, the ideal is to have one person provide breaths while the next person moves on to prepare for potential naloxone administration. |
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| Evaluate | Is the person any better? Have they woken up and are they breathing effectively on their own? If not, pause giving breaths, or pass this task onto a second person, while you prepare to give Naloxone. |
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| Muscular Injection | + Prepare 1 cc (0.4 ml), one does in one syringe. Swirl the glass ampoule to get the liquid out of the top and then break the ampoule with the amp snapper. Draw the naloxone full dose up into the vanish point syringe. Place the needle at a 90(degree) angle and draw the needle back into the barrel to reduce the risk of sharps injury. Inject the naloxone into a muscle such as deltoid, vastus lateralus or dorsogluteal. Click the + button to see a diagram of the 3 locations. Note: The needle can be inserted through clothing. |
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| Evaluate & Support | Has the person’s colour improved? As they breathing independently? If no change, give a second and/or third dose of naloxone, 3-5 minutes apart and up to 3 doses, as provided in the naloxone kit. |
