This Article  • References  • Full text PDF  • Send to a friend  • Save in My Folder  • Save to citation manager  • Permissions  Citing Articles  • Citation map  • Citing articles on HighWire  • Contact me when this article is cited  Related Content  • Similar articles in this journal  Social Bookmarking   What's this?

Underdosage After Narcotic Poisoning

Roger A. Moore, MD; Barry H. Rumack, MD; Christopher S. Conner, Pharm D; Robert G. Peterson, MD, PhD

Am J Dis Child. 1980;134(2):156-158.

Abstract
• A case of propoxyphene hydrochloride (Darvon) poisoning was unresponsive to therapeutic doses of naloxone hydrochloride in a 2-year-old girl. Following prolonged coma and artificial ventilation for three hours, the patient responded immediately to the intravenous administration of 2 mg of naloxone hydrochloride, which is 20 times the manufacturer's recommended dosage. Naloxone is the agent of choice in reversing the effects of narcotics and synthetic opiate derivatives, such as propoxyphene and pentazocine. The manufacturer's present recommended dosage may not be sufficient to reverse the effects of large narcotic ingestions. We therefore recommend that if there is no response within two minutes of the initial 0.01 mg/kg dosage of naloxone hydrochloride, a second dose 0.1 mg/kg (ten times the manufacturer's suggested dose) be given.

(Am J Dis Child 134:156-158, 1980)

Author Affiliations
From the Departments of Pediatrics (Drs Moore, Rumack, and Peterson), Medicine (Drs Rumack and Conner), Pharmacology (Dr Rumack), Clinical Pharmacy (Dr Conner), and Anesthesiology (Dr Peterson), and the Division of Clinical Pharmacology (Dr Rumack), University of Colorado Medical Center and Schools of Medicine and Pharmacy, Denver; the Rocky Mountain Poison Center, Denver General Hospital (Dr Rumack); and the Rocky Mountain Drug Consultation Center, Denver General Hospital (Dr Conner).

Footnotes
Reprint requests to Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Box C-237, University of Colorado Medical Center, 4200 E Ninth Ave, Denver, CO 80262 (Dr Rumack).

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter     What's this?

THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES

Naloxone in opioid poisoning: walking the tightrope
Clarke et al.
Emerg. Med. J. 2005;22:612-616.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Clinical Features and Management of Distalgesic Overdose
Proudfoot
Hum Exp Toxicol 1984;3:85s-94S.
ABSTRACT  

Efficacy of Naloxone in Clonidine Poisoning
NORTH and PETERSON
Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 1983;137:807-808.
ABSTRACT  

An Investigation of the Role of the Specific Opioid Antagonist Naloxone in Clinical Toxicology
Jefferys and Volans
Hum Exp Toxicol 1983;2:227-231.
ABSTRACT  

Possible Dangers of Naloxone Use-Reply
Kulig et al.
JAMA 1982;248:2973-2973.
ABSTRACT