Antidote for opioid toxicity is:

Appeared in: RML MAINS 2025

Explanation

Naloxone is a pure opioid antagonist, making it the specific drug of choice for reversing opioid-induced respiratory depression.
It functions by competing with and displacing opioids from their receptor sites in the central nervous system.
This competitive antagonism rapidly reverses the life-threatening effects of an overdose, including sedation, hypotension, and most critically, respiratory depression.
Its effectiveness is a key diagnostic indicator; if a patient does not respond to naloxone, the cause of their symptoms may not be opioid-related.

Option B: Bupropion is an atypical antidepressant and smoking cessation aid. Its mechanism involves inhibiting the reuptake of norepinephrine and dopamine, which is unrelated to opioid receptor activity.
Option C: Protamine sulfate is a specific antidote for heparin, an anticoagulant. It works by binding with heparin to form a stable, inactive complex, thereby neutralizing its effects.
Option D: This option is incorrect because a specific and effective antidote, Naloxone, is listed as a choice.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Pharmacological antidote for opioid toxicity as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
Nurses must be able to rapidly recognize the triad of opioid toxicity: respiratory depression, central nervous system depression (sedation/coma), and pupillary miosis (pinpoint pupils).
A critical nursing consideration is that naloxone's half-life (about 60-90 minutes) is shorter than that of most opioids. The patient must be monitored closely for a return of respiratory depression, and repeated doses may be necessary.
Rapid administration of naloxone can precipitate acute and severe withdrawal symptoms in opioid-dependent individuals, requiring management of symptoms like nausea, vomiting, tachycardia, and agitation.

How to Approach the Question

This is a factual recall question that tests your knowledge of common pharmacological antidotes.
First, identify the key terms in the question: 'Antidote' and 'opioid toxicity'.
Mentally review the specific antagonists for common drug toxicities.
Evaluate each option based on its known pharmacological action:
Option A, Naloxone, is the classic opioid antagonist.
Option B, Bupropion, is an antidepressant.

Concept Tested & Keywords

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E6 Pharmacology Nursing Lilley 11e Part 1 p. 170-172

E6 Kaplan Sadock's Synopsis of Psychiatry-2022 (pp 1-3768 of 3768) p. 946-948

E6 Medicine Harrison 22e Part 2 p. 1595-1597

Practise the full RML MAINS 2025

Attempt every question from this paper in a timed mock, then review the full solution for each one.