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Gundersen Tri-State Ambulance in Wisconsin hopes essential oils can help drop opioid numbers

Posted at 4:03 PM, May 19, 2018
and last updated 2018-05-19 17:04:10-04

(WEAU) For the 2,220 square miles and 150,000 people, Gundersen Tri-State Ambulance serves, not all of their calls are life or death.

That is why the Wisconsin based ambulance service is introducing essential oils as an alternative for patients.

"There's nothing that we've removed from the ambulances as far as treatments for the conditions or situations that we are using the essential oils for. It's really more to kind of create a more pleasant environment and maybe a better opportunity for them to feel better from whatever it is that's ailing them," says Tri-State's Nick Eastman.

Gundersen Health System has been using the oils in their hospital for a number of years.

Tri-State Ambulance first had discussions last year about using essential oils in the field for patients.

"When we look ahead at the opioid crisis, even though there's no evidence that a single ambulance trip with delivery of an opioid pain medicine is actually contributing to the likelihood of someone becoming addicted, it's simply one of those opportunities that we were looking at to give less opioids," Eastman says. 

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