A patient is brought to the emergency department with symptoms of
respiratory depression and suspected to have overdosed on opioids. What should be the
next step?
A. Naloxone
B. Buprenorphine
C. Naltrexone
D. Methadone
Answer. A
Solution. The next step in this situation should be to administer Naloxone (Narcan). Naloxone is
an opioid antagonist, meaning that it can counteract the effects of opioids. Overdose on opioids
can cause respiratory depression, which can lead to decreased breathing and decreased
oxygenation of the body’s tissues. Naloxone works by binding to the same receptors in the brain
that opioids bind to, thereby reversing the effects of the opioids and restoring normal breathing.
Naloxone is a fast-acting medication that can quickly reverse the effects of an opioid overdose,
and it is often used in emergency situations to save the life of someone who has overdosed.
Buprenorphine and methadone are both opioids that are used to treat opioid addiction, while
naltrexone is also an opioid antagonist like naloxone, but it is used for the treatment of opioid
addiction, rather than for emergency reversal of opioid overdose.