Move bottom para to below first table; insert new text: The dose of 20…
| Issue: | Move bottom para to below first table; insert new text: The dose of 200 micrograms is for the reversal of respiratory and central nervous system depression in a newborn following confirmed opioid administration to the mother during labour e.g. the administration of pethidine. This dose is deliberately higher than the recommended doses of naloxone for respiratory arrest or depression in children aged from birth to 4 years. In the first case the use of an opioid would have been confirmed so the diagnosis is certain and as naloxone is short acting this larger dose treats the problem and partially overcomes the need for repeat doses in the newborn baby. In the second case it is usually not possible to know if this is a chronic situation where the mother has been giving opioids regularly to the child to keep them quiet, or an acute poisoning event where the child drinks the whole bottle of morphine or methadone in the fridge by accident. In the chronic addicted situation it is possible that the child would suffer seizures and other violent physiological withdrawal effects if given a large dose of naloxone. Therefore it is safer to administer the smaller dose to start with, and then make arrangements to get the child to a hospital setting where withdrawal symptoms can be treated appropriately |
|---|---|
| Resolution: | Corrected/inserted in v1.3 reprint |
| Book: | Clinical Practice Guidelines |
| Location: | 328, Section 6 Drugs - N-O |
| Type of update: | Clinical changes |
| Year: | 2013 |
| Date update posted online: | January 5, 2015, 12:00 am |
