Opioid Overdose Research Paper

Opioid Overdose

Disease and Pathology Opioids are a class of drugs derived from opium poppy that are known for their analgesic, sedative, and anesthetic properties. The naturally occurring opiates are opium, morphine, and codeine. Chemically modified forms of these include heroin, hydromorphone, oxycodone, meperidine, methadone, propoxyphene, pentazocine, and fentanyl. While many of these drugs serve as important sources of pain relief in controlled medical settings, they also have a high potential for abuse and are a common cause of overdose (Bishop et al, 2023). Drug overdose caused by opiates is the leading cause of accidental death in the United States. There are over 1000 emergency department visits each day due to opioid misuse and 91 …show more content…
Patients are often lethargic or comatose by the time emergency medical responders arrive on scene. Respiratory depression appears as shallow breathing and a very low respiration rate (4 to 6 breaths per minute) (Schiller et al, 2023). This creates respiratory acidosis (Bishop et al, 2023). Dyspnea, wheezing, and frothy sputum can also occur due to bronchoconstriction while hypotension is brought on because of peripheral vasodilation. Additionally, patients can exhibit euphoria, drowsiness, fresh needle marks, seizures, nausea, vomiting, and neuropsychiatric symptoms like anxiety and paranoia. In cases where the drug contacts the skin, histamine gets released and causes itching and flushed skin. Other helpful signs that responders look for while at the scene are pills, empty bottles, needles, and syringes (Schiller et al, …show more content…
It can be given via IV, IM, subcutaneous, or intracranial routes. It works by acting as a competitive antagonist to the opiate receptors and rapidly prevents the opioids from binding and, therefore, inhibits the respiratory depression. The starting dose is 0.4-1 mg in adults and 0.1 mg/kg in children. If high doses of naloxone fail to alleviate respiratory distress, buprenorphine has been thought to be useful. An important consideration regarding the administration of naloxone is that it can cause the patient to become combative. The primary goal of the patient’s initial care is to ensure their airway is secure and that they do not sustain any damage to their spinal cord. Additionally, patients that are alert when admitted can undergo activated charcoal treatment to decontaminate their gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Another option that has not been well-supported in clinical studies is bowel irrigation and is meant for patients that have ingested drug packets (Schiller et al, 2023). Prognosis ultimately depends on several factors. The main factor is the amount of drugs introduced into the body. The higher the drug concentration, the poorer the prognosis. Patients with pre-existing lung disease or taking other types of drugs (e.g., gabapentin) also have a poorer prognosis (Schiller et al, 2023). Prevention is a critical part of

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