The Journal Times
RACINE — Racine County Sheriff’s Office personnel on Friday made the department’s fourth Narcan save of an overdosing person in as many months, the Sheriff’s Office said in a news release late Friday afternoon.
At about 10:35 a.m. Friday, a 32-year-old woman from Genoa City was being held in an intake cell at the Racine County Jail. The inmate had been admitted to the jail at 5 p.m. Thursday. Shortly before the incident, the inmate was conscious, breathing and talking.
A few minutes later, correctional officers were alerted by other inmates that something was wrong.
Correctional officers rushed into the holding cell and observed the inmate laying on the ground. The inmate was unconscious, not breathing, her skin color appeared to be changing and her eyes were rolled back in her head.
The correctional officer spoke to the other inmates, who stated the inmate appeared to sniff a substance that she had hidden on her person. After ingesting the substance, the inmate took a few steps and then fell to the ground, unconscious.
The other inmates were yelling that the inmate had a seizure, but the responding correctional officer immediately identified the situation as an overdose. The correctional officer ordered another correctional officer to bring her the Narcan. As the Narcan was brought to the correctional officer, medical staff arrived in the cell. Within less than a minute of being alerted to the emergency, the first dose of Narcan was administered to the inmate. The correctional officer observed that the inmate’s lips were turning purple and her pupils were pinpoint. The nurse delivered a second dose of Narcan and the inmate regained consciousness.
Upon arrival of emergency medical personnel, the inmate was able to walk to the gurney, and she was transported to the hospital for further treatment.
Since implementing the Narcan program in July 2014, the Sheriff’s Office has used Narcan more than 68 times to assist potential overdose victims, the news release stated.
The Sheriff’s Office commends the keen observations of the deputy, and the quick/decisive actions of the jail staff, the news release stated.
Sheriff Christopher Schmaling said in the news release: “One of our most important missions is to combat the dangerous distribution and use of illegal drugs. Sometimes we fight this fight through arresting drug dealers, sometimes we provide information about the dangers of this poison, and sometimes we save lives using Narcan. Either way, the Sheriff’s Office has trained and equipped staff continuously standing ready to serve and protect the community.”
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