Randomised trial of intranasal versus intramuscular naloxone in prehospital treatment for suspected opioid overdose

Abstract

Objective: To determine the effectiveness of intranasal (IN) naloxone compared with intramuscular (IM) naloxone for treatment of respiratory depression due to suspected opiate overdose in the prehospital setting. Design: Prospective, randomised, unblinded trial of either 2 mg naloxone injected intramuscularly or 2 mg naloxone delivered intranasally with a mucosal atomiser. Participants and setting: 155 patients (71 IM and 84 IN) requiring treatment for suspected opiate overdose and attended by paramedics of the Metropolitan Ambulance Service (MAS) and Rural Ambulance Victoria (RAV) in Victoria. Main outcome measures: Response time to regain a respiratory rate greater than 10 per minute. Seco..