Opioid Overdose Research Paper

Opioids are psychoactive substances derived from the opium poppy, or their synthetic analogues. They are natural, semisynthetic or synthetic narcotic drugs used as painkiller such as morphine, meth or methadone, oxycodone, fentanyl, hydrocodone, codeine, hydromorphone and buprenorphine. They are legal only when prescribed. Opioid overdose (OOD) occurs by accident or on purpose. OOD depresses central nervous and respiratory systems leading to drowsiness, slow breathing, pinpoint pupils, bluish lips or fingernails, limping, vomiting, loss of consciousness and death. So, an updated knowledge about critical care for OOD and treatment of opioid addiction in adults is very important. Naloxone is a drug used to treat a narcotic overdose in an emergency situation. …show more content…
It neutralizes the effects of opioid medication. It is a wonder drug which wakes up an unconscious person within minutes. It is also used to diagnose OOD because it works only if a person has consumed opioids, and it does not work on other drugs. A person cannot get high on naloxone, so it is safe for everyone. It is given intravenous or by a nasal spray, but not orally due to negligible bioavailability after oral administration. It is metabolized faster than opioid drugs. So, it has an almost immediate onset of action which lasts between 30-90 minutes depending on the drug ingested. Naloxone is a short-term measure for an overdose. This article aims at presenting the latest information about critical care for OOD in