Question

A patient is in cardiac arrest. The underlying cause is thought to be opioid toxicity. Which statement accurately describes the use of naloxone for this patient?

Naloxone should be administered immediately as the first action in resuscitation at a dose of 0.4 to 2 mg and then repeated every 2 to 3 min as needed.

Naloxone has not been shown to be effective for opioid toxicity once cardiac arrest has occurred.

Naloxone administered via continuous IV infusion should be considered for short-acting opioid toxicity.

Naloxone should be administered as soon as possible but is not a priority over high-quality CPR and AED use.

Answer 1

When treating cardiac arrest due to opioid toxicity, high-quality CPR and AED use take priority over naloxone administration, which should follow as soon as possible with a dose of 0.4 to 2 mg that can be repeated every 2 to 3 minutes.

Step-by-step explanation:

In the event of cardiac arrest where opioid toxicity is the suspected underlying cause, the administration of naloxone can be a crucial intervention. However, the immediate priority is to provide high-quality CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) and utilize an AED (automated external defibrillator) if available. Once these life-saving measures are underway, naloxone should be administered as soon as possible. The recommended initial dose is between 0.4 to 2 mg, which can be repeated every 2 to 3 minutes as needed. Naloxone works by antagonizing opioid receptors, effectively reversing the respiratory depression caused by opioids. In cases of short-acting opioid toxicity, a continuous IV infusion of naloxone may be considered to maintain reversal of opioid effects due to naloxone's short duration of action.