How to administer Narcan
The following video gives important information about how to help an overdosing person with Narcan.
After Administering Narcan
As you just saw, Narcan can save lives in an opioid overdose. Taking the right steps can be the difference between life and death for someone experiencing an overdose. The overdosing person has been given Narcan and 911 has been called. Now what?
Check Breathing
Check the person’s breathing. In an overdose, breathing is more important than waking up.
If the person can breathe normally on their own and you don’t suspect a head, neck, or spinal injury, place them into the recovery position and continue to monitor their breathing.
The Recovery Position
- Kneel at the person’s left side.
- Extend and bend their left arm so that it is at a right angle from the shoulder.
- Bring their right hand up towards the left cheek.
- Bend the right leg so that the foot is resting on the ground.
- Grasping gently under the bent knee and behind the right shoulder, roll the person towards you, onto their left side, resting the bent knee on the ground in front of them. The right hand should be under the person’s cheek.
- Gently tilt the person’s head and chin slightly back to ensure the airway is open.
If the person cannot breathe normally on their own, or if there is no heartbeat, the 911 operator can guide you through rescue breathing or CPR.
Narcan wears off after 30-90 minutes. Since opioids often stay in the body longer than 90 minutes, overdose symptoms could return and the person must be given Narcan again. For this reason, someone must stay with the person for at least four hours after the last dose of Narcan. This could be you, another person who knows how and when to use Narcan, or a medical professional.