Wearable device a potential lifesaver for opioid overdoses: study

A wearable device that can detect signs of an opioid overdose and inject naloxone to reverse the event could be a lifesaving tool, according to a newly published paper by U.S. scientists.

The device, which is worn on the stomach, similar to an insulin pump, can detect when a person is experiencing an overdose and administer naloxone to reverse the event. Naloxone is an opioid antagonist and is considered very effective. It works by blocking the effects of an opioid, quickly restoring a person’s breathing back to normal.

Opioid overdoses have been a leading cause of death in places like British Columbia, and have increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the first nine months of 2021 alone, more than 1,500 people died of illicit drug overdoses in the province -- the most officials have ever seen within that time frame and a 24 per cent increase from the same period in 2020.

In the U.S., fatal overdoses hit an all-time high as well, with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimating that 100,300 Americans died of drug overdoses from May 2020 to April 2021, based on the latest available death certificate data. Researchers noted that opioids accounted for the majority of deaths. Left untreated, overdoses from the non-medical use of opioids can lead to respiratory failure, heart attacks, and death.

"The opioid epidemic has become worse during the pandemic and has continued to be a major public health crisis," lead author and University of Washington (UW) doctoral student Justin Chan said in a statement.