Benefit effect of naloxone in benzodiazepines intoxication: findings of a preliminary study

Naloxone, as a low-priced and available drug, may be useful in improvement of signs and symptoms of benzodiazepines intoxication. The aim of this study was assessment of its effect on benzodiazepines poisoning.

In this clinical-trial study, patients with typical signs and symptoms of benzodiazepines poisoning, who were referred to a poisoning center in Tehran in 2008, were selected. After recording of patients' characteristics, supportive treatment was initiated and patients were randomly assigned to the case group with intravenous (IV) injection of two 0.4 mg naloxone ampules or to the control group. Their signs and symptoms were evaluated again 0.5 hour later. Each of diazepam, clonazepam and alperazolam drug group had 30 patients and lorazepam drug group had 26 patients, half of which patients in each drug group received naloxone.

Most of the participants were female and the mean age was 28 years. There were no significant differences between case and control groups in age, sex, time of drug consumption, tablet counts, signs and symptoms and level of consciousness at the admission time in each drug types. After naloxone injection in case groups, all signs and symptoms significantly improved in all drug types in comparison to control groups except nystagmus. In addition, level of consciousness significantly improved in case groups in all drug types except lorazepam.

Findings of the study showed that naloxone is effective in management of benzodiazepines poisoning. However, future clinical trials with greater sample size are recommended.