Prevent Overdose With Narcan

Prevent Overdose with NARCAN

Naloxone, commonly called NARCAN^®, can reverse an opioid overdose. You can easily spray it in the nose during an emergency. Common signs of an opioid overdose include:

• Not moving or waking up
• Slow breathing or not breathing at all
• Blue lips and/or fingernails
• Making choking or gurgling sounds, or snoring
• Cold skin or cool, wet skin
• Tiny pupils

How to use NARCAN

Start by moving the person onto their back. Then follow the steps below:

• Peel back the foil on the NARCAN nasal spray. Put your thumb under the red plunger. Put your middle and pointer finger on either side of the nozzle.
• Put the NARCAN nozzle into 1 nostril until your fingers on both sides of the nozzle touch the bottom of the person’s nose. Firmly press plunger.
• If you do not think there is a head or neck injury, move the person so they are lying on their side. Put one of their hands under their head. Bend their top leg at the knee to keep them lying on their side.
• Wait 2 or 3 minutes. If the person does not respond to voice or touch or is not breathing normally, move them to their back again. Open a new NARCAN nasal spray and use it in their other nostril.
• If they are still not breathing, start rescue breathing if you can. Stay with them until help arrives.

Where to get NARCAN

You can get NARCAN at no cost at many Northwestern Medicine hospitals and other locations.