New Wearable Device Could Help Prevent Overdose Deaths

Jan. 27, 2022 — It’s no secret {that a} specific public well being epidemic has solely gotten worse through the COVID-19 pandemic: drug overdose deaths. From May 2020 to April 2021, greater than 100,000 folks within the U.S. died from a drug overdose, in response to the CDC. About 64% of these deaths have been from opioids, largely fentanyl.

To cut back these deaths, researchers from the University of Washington have developed a brand new wearable gadget that may inform when an individual is overdosing from opioids.

It’s potential to reverse an opioid overdose with the drug naloxone, however it must be given as quickly as somebody exhibits indicators of an overdose or stops respiration. If an individual is having an overdose alone, or if nobody close by has a naloxone dose or the coaching to manage it, that particular person’s chance of dying is way larger. This prompted the researchers to develop an auto-injector system that folks with opioid use dysfunction can put on towards their stomach. The new gadget works so much like an insulin pump.

It has sensors to detect respiration patterns and is programmed to acknowledge the indicators of slowed or stopped respiration and motion. If the sensors detect life-threatening respiration signs that imply an overdose, it triggers a shot of naloxone. The researchers examined the gadget in volunteers in two environments and revealed their findings within the journal Scientific Reports in November.

One of the check websites was a supervised injection clinic in Vancouver, Canada, the place folks with dependancy can use IV medicine with a educated medical skilled current. Twenty-five volunteers wore the gadget to make sure it precisely measured their respiration patterns whereas utilizing opioids, however the units weren’t programmed to ship the naloxone.

The different website was a hospital the place 20 volunteers who didn’t take opioids wore the units and held their breath for 15 seconds to imitate the symptom of stopping respiration. During this check, the units did inject a naloxone dose after they sensed that the particular person had not moved for not less than 15 seconds.

Naloxone attaches to opioid receptors and reverses and blocks the results of different opioids if they’ve been consumed. After the pictures, the members had their blood taken to ensure the small dose of drug entered their bloodstream.

The new research exhibits that the gadget acts because it ought to and delivers the fitting dose into an individual’s circulatory system. That mentioned, extra research is required earlier than the researchers can apply for approval from the FDA. Also, along with extra exams on the units’ security and effectiveness, the researchers must understand how comfy the units are to put on and whether or not they’re hidden sufficient from view that folks with an opioid dependancy could be prepared to put on them.