Continuous naloxone infusion in pediatric narcotic overdose
J. M. Lewis, W. Klein-Schwartz, B. E. Benson, G. M. Oderda and S. Takai
A 31-month-old girl required constant intravenous (IV) infusion of naloxone
hydrochloride to treat codeine-induced respiratory and CNS depression. The
infusion rate was 0.4 mg/hr (27 micrograms/kg/hr) over nine hours, without
apparent side effects or evidence of toxic effects, for a total naloxone
hydrochloride dose of 4.1 mg (280 micrograms/kg). Constant naloxone
hydrochloride infusion at an initial rate of 0.4 mg/hr in pediatric
narcotic poisoning should be considered if the patient responds
inadequately to an initial 0.01-mg/kg bolus, requires repeated
administration to reverse narcotic-induced effects, or has ingested
long-acting agents. Continuous IV naloxone infusion is a convenient, safe,
and effective method to treat narcotic overdose.
