Evidence map›Paper›PMID 22778195›Full record

ArticleBMJ case reports2010

'I saved a life': a heroin addict's reflections on managing an overdose using 'take home naloxone'.

Sanju George, Sylvie Boulay, Damion Begley

Abstract readCase Reports
In one paragraph

Article in BMJ case reports, 2010. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
0.3field-weighted citation impact, top 30% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 12 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Countermeasures for Preventing and Treating Opioid Overdose.Clinical pharmacology and therapeutics · 2021
    Review
  3. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Sanju GeorgeDepartment of Addiction Psychiatry, Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Trust, Birmingham, UK. sanju.george@bsmhft.nhs.uk
Sylvie Boulay
Damion Begley
Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust · GB

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Research shows that most heroin addicts, at some point in their drug using careers, accidentally overdose and that accidental overdose is the most common cause of death in this group. As most such overdoses are witnessed by other drug users or their carers, it is argued that providing 'take home naloxone' (a fast-acting opiate antagonist) to them (as potential witnesses to an overdose) can save lives. Despite the robust evidence base to support the feasibility and effectiveness of this strategy, its integration into clinical practice in the UK is still very limited. Here, we report the case of a heroin addict who used his take home naloxone to manage an overdose and thereby saved a life. Through this account, we hope to raise clinicians' awareness of this simple yet life-saving intervention. We will also briefly discuss the evidence base for take home naloxone with particular reference to the UK and will also give some practical guidance to clinicians on prescribing take home naloxone.

Indexed as

AdultDrug OverdoseHeroin DependenceHumansMaleNaloxoneNarcotic AntagonistsSelf CareNaloxoneNarcotic Antagonists

Identifiers

PMID22778195
PMCPMC3027358
OpenAlexW2054322981

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.