Four drug overdose victims were saved during a two-day period this past week in Oakland County when paramedics rushed to administer Narcan, the Oakland County Sheriff's Office reports.
A 33-year-old Orion Township man was saved after an apparent heroin overdose on Thursday. On Friday, a 23-year-old Independence Township man was saved after he apparently overdosed from methadone.
Recommended Videos
Earlier on Friday, three people overdosed in Pontiac. However, paramedics were only able to save two of them -- a 40-year-old man and a 25-year-old man. A 40-year-old woman died.
Here are the incident reports from the Sheriff's Office:
8:43 a.m. Thursday, March 16:
Deputies responded to the 4000 block of Rohr Road to assist the Orion Township Fire Department with an unresponsive subject. Upon their arrival, Paramedics from the Orion Township Fire Department were already on scene. The unresponsive 33-year-old man was found lying on the bedroom floor. The mother of the subject advised Deputies that her son was a heroin user. Paramedics administered a dose of Narcan (Naloxone) to the subject but received no response. Deputies administered a second dose of Narcan to the subject and after a few minutes he regained consciousness.
The victim became conscious and alert and was subsequently transported to McLaren Hospital - Oakland by Paramedics from Star EMS for further evaluation.
4:02 a.m. Friday, March 17:
Deputies and the Waterford Regional Fire Department responded to the 70 block of Leonard Lane (Auburn Village Apartments) on a report of two unresponsive subjects. The complainant called 9-1-1 to report that she arrived home to find her boyfriend and two other subjects unconscious. Upon arrival, Deputies located a female and a male in the kitchen area. Both were unresponsive. A third, male subject, was found unresponsive in an upstairs bedroom.
Paramedics from Star EMS and the Waterford Regional Fire Department began administering several doses of Narcan (Naloxone) to the three subjects. Paramedics from Star EMS transported the two male victims to McLaren Hospital - Oakland where they are expected to recover. Attempts to revive the female were unsuccessful. Paramedics provided telemetry to McLaren Hospital - Oakland where a physician pronounced the female deceased. Evidence of drug use was found at the scene.
A Detective and an Investigator from the Oakland County Medical Examiner’s Office responded to continue with the investigation. Deputies requested the assistance of an OCSO Evidence Technician to process the scene. The Medical Examiner’s Office assumed custody of the deceased and an autopsy has been scheduled. The incident remains under investigation.
The victims were a 40-year-old man, 25-year-old man and a 40-year-old woman. The woman died.
4:57 p.m. Friday, March 17:
Deputies responded to the 5800 block of Hummingbird Lane to assist the Independence Township Fire Department with an unresponsive subject. The unresponsive 23-year-old man exhibited labored breathing and was found being held by his grandmother on the bedroom floor. The grandmother advised Deputies that her grandson had returned from the methadone clinic earlier in the day. The grandmother went to check on her grandson and found him unresponsive. Deputies administered a dose of Narcan (Naloxone) to the subject and a short time later he became conscious and alert.
Paramedics from the Independence Township Fire Department stabilized the victim and subsequently transported him to McLaren Hospital for further evaluation.
Earlier this year, Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said his deputies used Narcan 62 times to save 59 lives over a year and 1/2 period.
STORY: Oakland County Sheriff wants help for heroin addicts after they receive Narcan
According to a Centers for Disease Control (CDC) study, "allowing more basic emergency medical service (EMS) staff to administer naloxone (Narcan) could reduce drug overdose deaths that involve opioids."
In 2013, more than 16,000 deaths in the United States involved prescription opioids, and more than 8,000 others were related to heroin. Naloxone is a prescription drug that can reverse the effects of prescription opioid and heroin overdose, and can be life-saving if administered in time.
According to the study findings, advanced EMS staff were more likely than basic EMS staff to administer naloxone. A majority of states have adopted national guidelines that prohibit basic EMS staff from administering the drug as an injection. As of 2014, only 12 states allowed basic EMS staff to administer naloxone for a suspected opioid overdose; all 50 states allow advanced EMS staff to administer the overdose reversal treatment.