Once a day, at least, someone suffering a drug overdose ends up in the Emergency Department of Auburn Community Hospital.
Those who overdose on heroin or some other opiate often stop breathing, said Chief of Emergency Medicine Dr. Patsy Iannolo. It only takes five to 10 minutes of poor breathing before someone becomes brain dead, he added. Family members or friends oftentimes try administering CPR or putting the person into a cold bathtub to revive them before calling 911 and going to the emergency room.
“That typically doesn’t work,” Iannolo said.
