Naloxone dosage for opioid reversal: current evidence and clinical implications.
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Rzasa Lynn R, Galinkin JL
Naloxone dosage for opioid reversal: current evidence and clinical implications.
Ther Adv Drug Saf. 2018 Jan;9(1):63-88. doi: 10.1177/2042098617744161. Epub 2017 Dec 13.
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- 29318006 [ View in PubMed]
- Abstract
Opioid-related mortality is a growing problem in the United States, and in 2015 there were over 33,000 opioid-related deaths. To combat this mortality trend, naloxone is increasingly being utilized in a pre-hospital setting by emergency personnel and prescribed to laypersons for out-of-hospital administration. With increased utilization of naloxone there has been a subsequent reduction in mortality following an opioid overdose. Reversal of opioid toxicity may precipitate an opioid-withdrawal syndrome. At the same time, there is a risk of inadequate response or re-narcotization after the administration of a single dose of naloxone in patients who have taken large doses or long-acting opioid formulations, as the duration of effect of naloxone is shorter than that of many opioid agonists. As out-of-hospital use of this medication is growing, so too is concern about effective but safe dosing.
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