Related Experiment Video
Updated: Nov 21, 2025
10:17
High-throughput and Comprehensive Drug Surveillance Using Multisegment Injection-Capillary Electrophoresis-Mass Spectrometry
Published on: April 23, 2019
10.0K
The conundrum of polysubstance overdose
Joseph V Pergolizzi1,2,3,4, Albert Dahan4, Jo Ann LeQuang1
1NEMA Research Inc., Naples, Florida, USA.
Journal of Clinical Pharmacy and Therapeutics
|January 18, 2021
Summary
Opioid receptor antagonists like naloxone treat opioid overdose but fail with polysubstance use. A new approach stimulating respiratory drive may offer a broader treatment for overdose, regardless of the drug involved.
Area of Science:
- Emergency Medicine
- Pharmacology
- Toxicology
Background:
- Opioid receptor antagonists, such as naloxone, are effective for treating opioid-induced respiratory depression.
- However, most overdose deaths involve polysubstance use, where non-opioid drugs contribute to respiratory depression.
- Current antagonists are ineffective or risky for non-opioid-induced respiratory depression.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore novel therapeutic strategies for polysubstance overdose.
- To identify treatments for respiratory depression that are independent of the specific drug involved.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on opioid overdose treatments.
- Analysis of mechanisms underlying respiratory depression from various substances.
- Conceptualization of alternative treatment approaches.
Main Results:
- Opioid receptor antagonists target specific opioid receptor interactions.
- Non-opioid drugs cause respiratory depression through different mechanisms, rendering antagonists ineffective.
- Some non-opioid overdoses lack specific antagonists or carry risks with their use.
Conclusions:
- A new treatment approach focusing on stimulating respiratory drive, rather than receptor antagonism, is proposed.
- This "agnostic" approach may be effective for polysubstance overdose, addressing respiratory depression regardless of the causative agent.
- Further research is needed to develop and validate these novel therapeutic strategies.
More Related Videos
11:14Rapid High-throughput Species Identification of Botanical Material Using Direct Analysis in Real Time High Resolution Mass Spectrometry
Published on: October 2, 2016
11.9K
10:13Author Spotlight: An Efficient Methodology to Confidently Differentiate and Characterize Fentanyl Analogs
Published on: November 8, 2024
2.6K
Related Concept Videos
01:24Substance Use Disorders Affecting Sleep
277
Substance use disorders involve a pattern of using drugs more extensively than intended and continuing use despite harmful consequences. This includes legal substances like alcohol and nicotine, as well as illegal drugs. These disorders often involve both physical and psychological dependence, reflecting compulsive use of substances that significantly alter thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, contributing to a major public health issue.
Understanding the concepts of physical dependence,...
Understanding the concepts of physical dependence,...
277
01:15Drug Abuse and Addiction: Pharmacological Phenomena
924
Drug dependence, abuse, and addiction are complex phenomena that can precipitate various abnormal states. Physical dependence refers to a state of pharmacological adaptation to a drug. This adaptation often results in tolerance—a reduced response to the drug after repeated administrations. When the drug use is abruptly stopped, withdrawal symptoms occur due to the body's need to readjust from the pharmacologically induced imbalance. However, tolerance and withdrawal symptoms do not...
924
01:17Drug Dependence
1.4K
Medications are typically administered to achieve therapeutic effects. Some drugs can modify an individual's mood and perception, frequently resulting in various enjoyable experiences. However, this can result in drug dependency, a condition marked by continuous drug use despite potential negative consequences. Drug dependency primarily falls into two categories: psychological and physical dependence. Psychological dependence occurs when the pleasurable feelings induced by the drug...
1.4K
01:27Combined Effects of Drugs: Synergism
5.8K
Synergism is a useful mechanism where combining two or more drugs is more effective than each constituent used alone. Such combinations are also called supra-additive interactions. The drugs collectively enhance the final therapeutic effect by acting on different targets. Another advantage is that the low dose of each constituent drug is sufficient to achieve the desired effect. This helps reduce the duration of therapy and lower the adverse effects of these drugs.
Such synergistic combinations...
Such synergistic combinations...
5.8K
01:14Prevention of Further Absorption of Poison
1.0K
In cases of acute poisoning, the primary objective is to prevent further absorption of the toxic substance into the body. Immediate interventions using various decontamination techniques targeting the gastrointestinal (GI) tract can achieve this. Decontamination is crucial to prevent poison from entering the systemic circulation, which involves washing affected areas with water and mild soap and removing contaminated clothing. Once external decontamination is done, attention must be turned to...
1.0K
01:17Antidotes
877
Antidotes are medicinal substances used to counteract the harmful effects of toxins or drugs in the body. They function in various ways, each uniquely designed to combat specific toxic compounds.
Specific antidotes operate by inhibiting the enzymes that control biochemical pathways, reducing the production of harmful metabolites.
An example of an antidote is atropine, which counteracts the detrimental effects of cholinesterase inhibitors. It achieves this by deactivating muscarinic receptors,...
Specific antidotes operate by inhibiting the enzymes that control biochemical pathways, reducing the production of harmful metabolites.
An example of an antidote is atropine, which counteracts the detrimental effects of cholinesterase inhibitors. It achieves this by deactivating muscarinic receptors,...
877