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Medical expert praises Narcan use in saving deputy who nearly died of fentanyl overdose
A medical expert weighed in on the viral video of the California cop being saved by Narcan after a near-deadly reaction to fentanyl.
SAN DIEGO, Calif. - Last week, a chilling video shared by the San Diego County Sheriff's Department went viral on social media.
The video showed a deputy collapsing after suffering a near-deadly exposure to fentanyl. A field training officer who was with him jumped right in and administered Narcan on the collapsed colleague.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: 'I am not going to let you die': California deputy saves colleague's life after fentanyl exposure
The deputy was rushed to the hospital, where he ultimately recovered after the horrific incident.
While the video shows the field training officer's heroic actions, one health expert is worried about the possible message the video could send to first responders.
"I would not want the law enforcement or first responders to step back from that because of this episode," said Dr. Todd Larsen, of Dignity Health St. John's Regional Medical Center. "In general, it is very safe to be dealing with people with overdose and delivering the Narcan can save people who can then change their lives."
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Larsen said it's not uncommon to see multiple overdose cases in a single shift. That being said, most first responders are well-prepared in dealing with fentanyl.
"I know that law enforcement may not deal as often but often times, [EMS are] actually the first person on scene and giving the intranasal Narcan that save these people's lives," he said.
Despite what some may say about the video, the message from San Diego County Sheriff was very clear last week.
"Fentanyl overdoses are on the rise throughout our county," said Sheriff Bill Gore in the video. "Every day, deputies recover fentanyl in our communities and the county jails are not immune to the dangers of this drug."