The glaring weakness in our rural medical kit.

Hello from Nayarit, Mexico, a couple hours north of Puerto Vallarta. Two of my four my in-laws—yes, I have four—have a funky place here. It’s hours away from anything touristy, and it is kind of amazing, once you’ve made the trip. The twelve lots on this development are inhabited by an interesting coterie of solitude-seekers, hailing from Mexico, Canada, the United States, and Europe.

My father-in-law John (a retired oncologist) has long been responsible for the medical supplies kept on the premises. Over time, I’ve started to chip in some resources whenever we visit. Considering it’s coastal rural Mexico, I’d say we’ve got a reasonably functional medical fallout shelter, going here.

Over the years, John has asked me to bring a few things to improve or replenish our cache. Could I bring a couple extra bottles of certain antibiotics? Yes. Could I bring some high-potency steroid creams? Sure. Could I nab a few bags of IV fluids from my hospital’s supply room? No. (I’m not that good of a son-in-law.)

But on my last trip, I realized that our little shanty medical unit is missing two of the most important items: an automatic external defibrillator (AED) and naloxone. We could potentially deal with a number of serious problems out here (from anaphylaxis to most infections), but in my view, we are woefully ill-prepared for two of the most common and reversible causes of death we might encounter here: sudden cardiac death caused by a heart attack and opioid overdoses.

An AED is one of the few time-dependent interventions that could save a life, if used properly. If someone were to suddenly collapse and have no pulse, CPR with defibrillation could make the difference in some cases. In fact, as some of you will recall, my friend Dr. Lauren Westafer used an AED in an airport this past year to bring a man back from the brink of death, saving his life from what would have otherwise been a fatal event. (By the way, if you’re going to drop dead, do it at the airport, apparently. CPR success rates are extremely high in airports, which makes sense if you think about it.)

Naloxone is the life-saving antidote to opioid overdoses (whether intentional or unintentional). The medication is so strong that it will reverse even incredibly high overdoses of opioids, provided it is administered quickly enough. Nasal sprays can be given by just about anyone, even those with no medical training. You shove the device up the nostril and spray it a few times, just like any other nasal spray you may have used (i.e., allergies, etc). You never know who will need naloxone (also known as “Narcan”) or when. Having naloxone on hand is often the difference between life and death. Many people carry it in their bags and purses. I encourage that.

Naloxone nasal spray (“Narcan” being one brand) can safe a life from an opioid overdose in a matter of seconds. Getty Images.

So, my New Year’s resolution for 2023: get an AED and naloxone into our medical nook here in Mexico. With luck, I’ll never have to use them. But if we ever needed either of these two items but didn’t have them on hand, I’d never forgive myself.

Do you have a home or workplace that needs and AED or naloxone? They’re not hard to get. AEDs can be bought online. Naloxone can be obtained without a prescription in some states, and with a prescription in others. Look into it. You’ll be glad you did.

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Speaking of New Year’s resolutions, this weekend, I’ll write a bit about whether they really work, and how to maximize your chances of success.