Simulation of the Effects of Co-Locating Naloxone with Automated External Defibrillators

AbstractIntroduction: Opioid-related overdoses have been steadily increasing over the past decade in the United States. Naloxone is used by first responders to revive overdose victims, but results may be improved by increasing access to and usage of naloxone by bystanders. Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) are pervasive, recognizable, and publicly accessible. Co-locating naloxone kits with AEDs could increase public naloxone access and usage. However, the impact of co-locating naloxone kits with AEDs is not known. Objectives: We sought to evaluate the impact of co-locating naloxone kits with AEDs in a simulation study centered on Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. Methods: Naloxone administration frequency (N = 3,650) at the zip-code level from March 2016 to March 2017 was provided by the Allegheny County Health Department. AED point locations (N = 1,653) were obtained from the University of Pittsburgh's Resuscitation Logistics and Informatics Venture. Zip-code level geospatial analyses were conducted...