EMS: Surge of overdose calls with more than 50 patients, possibly as many as 8 deaths

AUSTIN (Talk1370.com) -- First responders say they responded to a surge in overdose calls Monday and into Tuesday, resulting in potentially as many as eight deaths.

Austin-Travis County EMS officials said medics typically respond to two or three overdose calls on a normal day. By Monday evening, more than 30 overdose-related calls had come in since the morning hours.

During a press conference Tuesday, officials said the number of calls had grown to more than 50 with four deaths linked to the overdoses. The Travis County Medical Examiner's office says it's now looking to see if four additional deaths early Monday morning can be tied to the same string of overdoses.

While most of the calls were concentrated in the downtown area, officials said, there were calls from all over the city.

"The trend that we’re seeing in this group of overdoses is that it is unusually deadly,” ATCEMS deputy medical director Dr. Heidi Abraham said. “There have been four deaths, so far, that we suspect are related to these overdoses. We have not experienced overdoses of this volume in several years.”

Officials said many of the patients were responding well to treatment with Narcan, indicating the substances involved were likely opiates.

Austin Police are working to investigate the source of the drugs and identify the potential dealer or dealers involved, according to the city.