Citation

Maldjian L, Siegler A, Kunins HV. Subst. Abuse 2016; 37(3): 459-465.

Affiliation

Department of Health and Mental Hygiene , Bureau of Alcohol and Drug Use Prevention, Care and Treatment , Queens , NY , USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2016, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/08897077.2015.1135850

PMID

26731134

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Prevention of unintentional opioid overdose deaths is effective through overdose prevention trainings (OPTs), in which laypersons are taught overdose response through six actions. This longitudinal study examines trainee knowledge twelve months after OPT completion.

METHODS: We enrolled participants following OPT at six sites. At twelve months follow-up, participants were asked to: name the drug overdoses that naloxone reverses; name overdose response actions. We created a 6-point scale comprised of number of correct overdose response actions mentioned (check breathing; administer sternum rub; call 911; give rescue breathing; administer naloxone; put victim in recovery position). We compared mean knowledge by participant sociodemographic characteristics, confidence, and site of OPT training (indoors versus outdoors).

RESULTS: 273 of 344 OPT participants were reached at twelve months. Nearly all (99%) participants identified that naloxone reverses heroin; 77% opioid analgesics; and 68% methadone overdoses. Overdose response actions most frequently mentioned were giving naloxone (86%) and calling 911 (76%). The remaining four actions were mentioned by less than 40% of participants. Overall mean knowledge score was 2.7 out of 6. Mean knowledge scores were higher for college graduates than those with less than college education (3.2 vs 2.6, p<0.001), for those who felt very confident (mean score (ms) = 2.9), compared to somewhat confident (ms = 2.4) and a little or not at all confident (ms = 1.5) in their ability to reverse an overdose (p<.001), and for indoor-training recipients (3.0 vs 2.5, p = 0.02). There were no differences in mean knowledge scores for trainees by age, race, or gender.

CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest the need for several improvements in OPT curriculum, including emphasis on naloxone reversal of opioid analgesic and methadone overdoses, and all 6 rescue actions. Lower knowledge scores among outdoor-trained participants likely reflect session brevity, suggesting that outdoor trainings need to be enhanced.

Language: en