Lake County Sheriff's deputy uses Naloxone to revive overdose victim
For the first time since Lake County sheriff's police started carrying the opiate antidote naloxone, a deputy has used it to revive a person suffering an overdose, authorities said Monday.
Deputy Amanda Fusco found an unresponsive male at 9:50 p.m. Saturday on the 14000 block of Shanklin Court in Green Oaks, officials said in a news release. When officers arrived, the victim was receiving CPR from a family member who is a trained nurse.
Fosco administered the dose of naloxone to the victim through a department-issued auto-injector, and he began to breathe on his own. After the victim was conscious a short time later, he was taken to Advocate Condell Hospital in Libertyville for treatment, authorities said.
Authorities said they learned the victim had ingested heroin and suffered an overdose as a result.
"I think it's fantastic," Lake County Undersheriff Ray Rose said. "Having an opportunity to save a life and give another person a second chance at their life - it doesn't get any better than that."
The Lake County sheriff's office has trained all of its personnel on how to administer naloxone through the use of an auto-injector, authorities said. The injector is similar to an Epi-pen sometimes carried by people with severe allergies.
All patrol deputies, detectives, command staff members and court officers carry the auto-injectors, authorities said, and have been trained in their use.
Auto-injectors are also placed in all Lake County sheriff's facilities, including the Lake County jail and all county court facilities.
Law enforcement officials had been training since July to put naloxone into the hands of all patrolmen by Sept. 1, authorities said. Currently, 35 of 41 departments in Lake County are trained to have officers carry naloxone, authorities said.
This is the second life saved by a patrol officer in Lake County. The first was on Christmas in Deerfield.