TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2020//
TI  - A study of the effectiveness of naltrexone in preventing recurrence of methadone poisoning in opioid-naive children
JO  - Drug and alcohol dependence
A1  - Gholami, Narges
A1  - Farnaghi, Fariba
A1  - Saberi, Maryam
A1  - Zamani, Nasim
A1  - McDonald, Rebecca
A1  - Hassanian-Moghaddam, Hossein
SP  - e108425
EP  - e108425
VL  - 219
IS  - 
N2  - BACKGROUND: The prevalence of poisoning from methadone and prescription opioids is increasing in pediatric populations. Naloxone is the main antidote for treatment. Long-acting opioid toxicity may need close observation in the intensive care unit (ICU). In our previous study, naltrexone prevented re-narcotization in methadone-poisoned adults. Here, we aim to share our experience with the use of oral naltrexone for preventing recurrence of toxicity in opioid-naïve children.     METHODS: In a single-center, retrospective case series, children (age ≤12 years) admitted to a poison center in Tehran (Iran) between March 2014-March 2016 were included if they presented with methadone poisoning and received naltrexone treatment in hospital. Naltrexone (1 mg/kg) was administrated orally after initial administration of 0.1 mg/kg naloxone intravenously. Children were monitored for level of consciousness, cyanosis, respiratory rate, VBG results, and O2 saturation for ≥48 h during their hospitalization.     RESULTS: Eighty patients with methadone poisoning were enrolled, with median age of three years (range: 0.2-12.0). None involved polysubstance poisoning. Following naltrexone treatment, none experienced recurrent opioid toxicity during hospitalization, and hospital records indicated no readmission within 72-h post-discharge.     CONCLUSION: Oral naltrexone could be a potential substitute for continuous naloxone infusion in methadone-poisoned children and reduce the need for ICU care.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 0376-8716
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2020.108425
ID  - ref1
ER  -