VCOM Research Day Program Book 2023

Medical Student Research Case Reports

06 A Case Report on Nonfatal Opioid Overdose in a Young Adult From Southwest Virginia

Felicity G. Saylor, OMS II; Theresa J. McCann, PhD, MPH Corresponding author: fsaylor@vcom.edu

Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine – Virginia Campus

In response to the lack of consolidated national data on the nonfatal opioid overdose epidemic, the Office of National Drug Control Policy launched a data dashboard specifically for nonfatal opioid overdoses. By December 2022, the NEMSIS dashboard data reported the 2021 US rate of nonfatal opioid overdose was 58.9 per 100,000 which is over twice the rate reported in 2018 (NEMSIS). Several counties in Southwest Virginia had much-higher-than or higher than-average rates of nonfatal opioid overdose (NEMSIS) compared to other areas in the country. This case report describes a young woman residing in the New River Valley region of Southwest Virginia who has a history of at least two nonfatal overdoses. She described skipping high school with friends, and

while at her house, they got into some of her mom’s prescription medicine. She eventually returned to school that day but the next thing she remembered was being in the hospital. The most recent overdose involved a heroin overdose. Fortunately, medical personnel were alerted and she was resuscitated, waking up days later in the hospital. She is currently receiving outpatient care through the Office-Based Addiction Treatment (OBAT) program at the Community Health Center of the New River Valley (CHCNRV). Education, community, counseling, and medical support are imperative for any patient struggling with opioid use disorders. Dedicated healthcare programs

providing these resources to address the disease of drug addiction are essential to preventing future nonfatal and fatal opioid overdoses. The current increase in the frequency of overdose-related inpatient admissions and emergency department visits along with the size of mortality from varied causes, requires urgent attention and coordination in the United States. Physician and Patient permission were obtained prior to preparing this case report.

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