Pediatric emergency medicine trisk 3048 3048

Naloxone. Naloxone, a pure opioid receptor antagonist, is one of the safest and
most effective of the true antidotes now available. It is effective against all
opioids. Naloxone is a synthetic congener of oxymorphone but is devoid of
morphine agonist or depressant effects. It has no significant side effects in the
treatment of acute overdose except narcotic withdrawal symptoms in the addicted
patient. Withdrawal symptoms secondary to naloxone, if observed during acute
overdose treatment, would be expected to last no more than 30 minutes and
should generally be treated with supportive care. The serum half-life of naloxone
is 1 hour; its duration of action is 1 to 4 hours. Initial reversal of narcosis may
then revert to coma, requiring ongoing reassessment and readministration of
naloxone. There are a few case reports of other adverse effects, including
hypertension, pulmonary edema, ventricular irritability, and seizures after
naloxone-induced reversal of narcosis in the perioperative setting, typically in
patients with underlying cardiopulmonary disease and in the presence of
additional medications or anesthetic agent use.