An Autonomous Implantable Device for the Prevention of Death from Opioid Overdose.

ABSTRACT: Opioid overdose accounts for nearly 75,000 deaths per year in the United States, representing a leading cause of mortality amongst the prime working age population (25-54 years). At overdose levels, opioid-induced respiratory depression becomes fatal without timely administration of the rescue drug naloxone. Currently, overdose survival relies entirely on bystander intervention, requiring a nearby person to discover and identify the overdosed individual, and have immediate access to naloxone to administer. Government efforts have focused on providing naloxone in abundance but do not address the equally critical component for overdose rescue: a willing and informed bystander. To address this unmet need, we developed the Naloximeter: a class of life-saving implantable devices that autonomous

SUBMITTER: Ciatti JL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11244915 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature