Question

A 55-year-old man is brought to the clinic by his wife who complains of his addiction to pain medication. She has caught him several times trying to illegally buy oxycodone. He claims that only oxycodone can relieve his chronic back pain. What can be done to detoxify the patient?

A. Keep the patient under observation and cut off all pain medication
B. Keep patient under observation and give buprenorphine
C. Keep patient under observation and give disulfiram
D. Administer clonidine in out-patient
E. Administer naltrexone in out-patient

Answer 1

To detoxify a patient addicted to pain medication, the best approach is to administer buprenorphine in an outpatient setting.

Step-by-step explanation:

To detoxify a patient addicted to pain medication, the best approach would be to keep the patient under observation and administer buprenorphine in an outpatient setting. Buprenorphine is a medication commonly used in medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid addiction. It helps to relieve withdrawal symptoms and reduce cravings, allowing the patient to gradually taper off the opioids under medical supervision.