System Offers Opioid Overdose Prevention Education

FORT WORTH, Texas - Eleven high school students and their moms recently got an inside look at the dangers of opioid misuse and overdose during an immersive education session at Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Fort Worth.

The Young Men Service League (YMSL) Plano chapter participated in a hands-on emergency training at the Amon G. Carter Medical Simulation Training Center, which is located on the hospital campus.

"We are using education to fight the opioid crisis and improve the well-being of North Texans," said Rhonda Thompson, M.S.N.-Ed, R.N., CA-SANE, who leads the training center. "We are working to improve the health of the people in the communities we serve."

Participants viewed a reenactment of an opioid overdose that depicted a young man unknowingly taking an opioid pill. They witnessed the moments that followed - from the 911 call to the paramedics' arrival to the proper way to administer Narcan, a medication used to reverse an opioid overdose.

Participants learned steps to take during an emergency, including starting hands-only-CPR, and the proper use of an automated external defibrillator (AED).

The session covered several other aspects of the opioid overdose issue, including testimonies from former drug addicts and the emotional toll this takes on families.

Mitchell Duncan, B.S., a licensed paramedic at the simulation training center, discussed the physiological effects of an overdose, likening the brain's deprivation of oxygen to an egg frying in a pan.

"When the clear part of the egg turns white, you cannot change the white part back to clear again," Duncan said. "It works the same in the brain. It will never be the same. Your brain is what makes you, you. It gives you the ability to scratch an itch and it is your personality."

Carson Kolb, 16, said the training was an eye-opening experience, adding: "We feel more prepared to handle these situations if they ever arise."

His mom, Patricia Kolb, PharmD, a pharmacist clinician at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Flower Mound, participated in the program as well.

"Being able to recognize the signs of an overdose and knowing what to do can mean the difference between life and death," she said. "This training not only provides the skills needed to intervene effectively but instills confidence in their ability to help others."

The simulation training center offers specialized training to community partners in realistic medical settings. The center has held training sessions for high schools, service groups, fire departments, emergency medical services agencies, nursing departments, physician residents and physicians.

"We are happy to provide this community service," said Jared Shelton, FACHE, president of the hospital. "We are committed to helping save lives."

Follow these links to schedule simulation training events, or to book educational tours of the simulation training center.