The Atomizer and Naloxone: Life-Saving Treatment for Opioid ODs

​The atomizer is a handy tool to instill life-saving medication into the nose, and you should consider stocking them if you don't already. An atomizer can be used to administer naloxone and countless other drugs as well as for moderate sedation and pain control. Pediatric and adult patients alike can benefit from intranasal fentanyl or Versed. Studies on intranasal epinephrine for anaphylaxis also look promising, but it does require a higher dose—5 mg instead of 0.3 mg. (Asian Pac J Allergy Immunol 2016;34[1]:38; http://bit.ly/2Prpjhb.)The atomizer is easy to use and can be attached to any syringe. Each spray creates a fine mist, which can penetrate the mucus membranes. You can administer about 0.5-1 mL of fluid per pump. Keep in mind the dosage of intranasal medications is often higher than that of IM, IV, and oral doses.Dr. James Roberts demonstrates the use of a traditional atomizer.Three 1 mL syringes with standard-sized atomizers. Photo by M. Roberts.Opioid StruggleMore than 33,000 people died from opioid overdoses in 2015, including prescription pain relievers, heroin, and fentanyl. (National Institute on Drug Abuse. http://bit.ly/2PrdY0D.) Naloxone is a nonselective and competitive opioid receptor antagonist, and reverses central nervous system depression caused by opioids. It can be used intravenously, intramuscularly, intranasally, and even nebulized.Naloxone has been around for almost 50 years. It is well researched, well studied, and abundantly used...
Source: The Procedural Pause - Category: Emergency Medicine Tags: Blog Posts Source Type: blogs