Providing Opiate Alternatives in Colorado ERs
Did you know that nearly 80 people die per day in the US from opioid overdoses? The use of both prescription and nonprescription narcotic use has skyrocketed in the last 20 years. Many of our providers can relate to stories of seeing multiple patients in a single day with narcotic overdoses.
Here at Innova, we know how important it is to treat pain and to treat in the best interests of our patients. We are very excited to be partnering with the Colorado Hospital Association in their project to limit opiate use in the Emergency Department. We are providing training and clinical support to our physicians and allied health providers in the use of ALTOs (alternatives to opiates). We are proud to report that, even before implementation of these resources, our providers scored extremely well against other hospitals when looking at the appropriate use of narcotic pain medications.
We are using well studied alternative medications like Toradol, intravenous lidocaine, and ketamine to treat pain effectively without the side effects of narcotics. In addition, our providers perform complementary techniques such as nerve blocks and trigger point injections to provide pain relief directly to the nerves. We are doing our part to prevent opioid dependence and keep our communities healthy while treating pain aggressively.
