8 dead, 51 overdoses reported in Austin: ATCEMS
AUSTIN, Texas - Austin-Travis County EMS medics responded to at least 51 overdose calls on Monday and Tuesday in which at least 8 people died.
On April 29, around 9 a.m., ATCEMS says it experienced a sudden surge in opioid-related overdose calls concentrated in downtown Austin. As of 8 p.m. on Monday, April 29 medics had responded to 31 overdose calls. By Tuesday at noon, the number of overdose calls rose to 51.
"We have not experienced overdoses of this volume in several years," said Dr. Heidi Abraham, deputy medical director on Monday night. "We normally would have about 2 or 3 calls per day. We're now in the mid to high 30s today. That is about a 1,000% increase."
As a preventative measure, medics patrolled downtown for at-risk groups and distributed 223 Narcan kits.
"I do want to stress that this is something that is affecting all populations across the city. We have had a couple of areas where incidents are concentrated, but this is affecting the entire city," said Krista Steadman, Austin-Travis County EMS public information officer.
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Several patients thought they were taking a non-opioid narcotic, ATCEMS reported.
ATCEMS said to beware of counterfeit drugs, and the best way to save a life is to recognize the signs of an overdose early. They include: slow or shallow breathing, sudden confusion, small pupils, a change in skin color or loss of consciousness.
