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First Aid & Emergencies

Call 911 NOW if you are having:

  • Chest Pain
  • Difficulty Breathing
  • Severe Bleeding
  • Sudden Weakness or Numbness
  • A Medical Emergency
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Drug Overdose Treatment

 Call 911 if the person has: 

  • Collapsed
  • Stopped breathing

1. Begin CPR, if Necessary

If the person is not breathing or breathing is dangerously weak:

 

2. Contact Poison Control

  • Call Poison Control at 800-222-1222 (in U.S.) even if the person has no symptoms.
  • Poison Control experts will advise you how to proceed.
  • Do not try to make the person vomit or give the person anything to eat or drink.

 

3. Collect Drug or Pills

  • Give drug or pills the person may have taken to the emergency team, or take them to the emergency room or doctor's office.

 

4. Follow Up

  • At the hospital, the person's stomach may be pumped.
  • Activated charcoal may be given by mouth to absorb the drug.
  • A psychiatric evaluation will be ordered if the overdose was intentional.

 

WebMD Medical Reference

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Reviewed by Varnada Karriem-Norwood, MD on September 27, 2011
© 2011 WebMD, LLC. All rights reserved.

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