Opioid-Associated Emergencies & Naloxone Flashcards
7 cards from real BLS practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Opioid-Associated Emergencies & Naloxone flashcards as text
A person is found unresponsive with slow, gurgling respirations of 4 breaths per minute. You suspect opioid overdose. What is the FIRST action?
Answer: Activate the emergency response system (call 911) and get naloxone if available
The first step is to activate 911 to ensure advanced help is coming, then retrieve naloxone and begin rescue breathing as the priority intervention.
Stimulation (sternal rub or calling the victim's name) is performed on a suspected opioid overdose victim because:
Answer: A person who responds to stimulation may not yet need naloxone
If the victim responds to stimulation and begins breathing adequately, naloxone may not be immediately necessary, avoiding precipitation of acute opioid withdrawal.
Which of the following opioids is most likely to require multiple doses of naloxone due to its potency?
Answer: Fentanyl
Fentanyl and its analogues are 50–100 times more potent than morphine and often require repeated or higher doses of naloxone to fully reverse respiratory depression.
When performing rescue breathing for an opioid overdose victim, the rescuer should give breaths at:
Answer: 1 breath every 5–6 seconds (10–12 breaths/min)
For an adult with a pulse but absent or inadequate breathing, rescue breaths should be delivered at 1 breath every 5–6 seconds (10–12 breaths/min).
After naloxone reversal, the victim becomes agitated and combative. This most likely indicates:
Answer: Acute opioid withdrawal precipitated by naloxone
Naloxone rapidly precipitates opioid withdrawal in dependent individuals, causing agitation, diaphoresis, nausea, vomiting, and combativeness.
In an opioid overdose scenario where the victim has no pulse and no breathing, the rescuer should:
Answer: Begin CPR (30:2 compressions and ventilations) and administer naloxone
If the victim is pulseless, standard high-quality CPR should begin immediately; naloxone can be administered concurrently but does not replace CPR.
Which statement about community naloxone distribution programs is CORRECT?
Answer: Lay persons trained in naloxone use have been shown to reduce opioid overdose deaths
Research consistently shows that community naloxone distribution and training programs significantly reduce opioid overdose mortality without increasing drug use.