Ohio paramedic overdoses while driving OD patient to hospital

An Ohio paramedic-firefighter began experiencing overdose symptoms while driving an ambulance containing a female overdose patient to the hospital Thursday night, according to WKEF.

The paramedic and his partner responded to a 911 call in Fairborn, Ohio, around 7 p.m. Thursday night, where they encountered a 49-year-old woman with a suspected opioid overdose. While en route to Beavercreek, Ohio-based Soin Medical Center, the paramedic started to feel sick.

"He was not feeling right. He was having issues seeing the speedometer controls," David Reichert, division chief for the Fairborn Fire Department, told Dayton Daily News. The paramedic stopped the ambulance and sought treatment from his partner, who gave him two doses of Narcan.

Police believe the paramedic was exposed to a narcotic while treating the patient and cleaning up the overdose scene. Several other paramedics and police were also exposed to the drug, although their symptoms were minimal, according to WKEF.

The patient and paramedic both recovered. The Fairborn Police Department sent evidence collected at the scene to a crime lab to identify what substance caused the overdoses.

More articles on opioids:

DEA issues emergency action to crack down on spread of synthetic opioid
Insurers: Addiction should be treated with same urgency as cancer
New York state physician indicted on charges linked to 6 opioid overdose deaths

 

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