Gundersen Health System seeing uptick in fentanyl overdoses in La Crosse
LA CROSSE, Wis. (WEAU) - One area hospital is seeing an increase in overdoses and deaths due to fentanyl.
Representatives with Gundersen Health System in La Crosse say there has been a substantial spike in overdoses during the last four weeks, including nine deaths in the month of Jan. alone. Doctors say fentanyl is typically mixed in with other drugs.
One Gundersen health care professional says it’s easy to overdose on fentanyl because it doesn’t take a large amount to cause one.
Dr. Chris Eberlein, Emergency Medicine Physician, said in part quote, “We measure it in the hospitals in micrograms, so incredibly small amounts will cause an overdose.”
Symptoms of an overdose include unresponsiveness and slowed or no breathing.
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