Naloxone as Antipyretic-Common?

Altalorraine · Feb 23, 2006

just wondering if it is common practice in your facility to use naloxone (narcan) as an antipyretic. i am familiar with the pharmacology behind it, just wondering if it is commonly used. we have always used nubain (d/c'd here) or benadryl for our po c/s patients receiving epimorph. we have a new anesthetist who, for one thing, only prescribes plain tylenol 325mg for additional pain relief and nothing else..(archaic) his other fave is naloxone for itching-so now if the mom is itchy she can reverse her pain med but not be itchy but i can save the day for her with some tylenol 325!! i had a section and the tylenol#3 hardly did anything so i could not imagine only 325mg.
anyway-he said it is new and current research. if the patient requires further pain control he wishes to be hotified, and him not the anesthetist on call. you bet i call him at 300 to tell him she needs something more! we have had a lot of complaints recently from our sections so i was just gleaning some info...thanks:nurse:

our duramorph protocol includes narcan for itching (and nausea) 0.1 mg x 2 doses. i was told that's because itching is a side effect, not a reaction, to morphine.

altalorraine

ooops, i read this as antipruritic. i've never heard of it used as an antipyretic.

EricJRN, MSN, RN · Feb 23, 2006

Out of curiosity, what is the pharmacology behind using Narcan to reduce fever?

imenid37 · Feb 23, 2006

Why was Nubain DC'd in Canada? Just curious. We use it all of the time.

SuperFlyRN · Feb 23, 2006

Out of curiosity, what is the pharmacology behind using Narcan to reduce fever?

I realized I put antipyretic after I went to bed-long night-after working 12 hrs than 2 hrs OT I then was on call for Pharmacy so little over tired I think-I was thinking Tylenol when I put antipyretic :uhoh3: not opiate antagonist/histamine antagonist.

Most of our anesthetists refuse to use Toradol unless they have no narcotics on board. A lot of people still think it is a controlled or narcotic and it is not-just very effective pain relief. We have one (our Perinatologist/OB) who prescirbes Indocid Supp Q6H for PO pain control and it is very effective.

They d/c's Nubain here strictly due to low demand-no other reason-there are other (they say) just as effective and cost-effective drugs available and Nubain was limited in its scope. It was the perfect C/S drug-analgesic and antihistamine-ideal.

SmilingBluEyes · Feb 23, 2006

Hmmmm curious. We use Toradol for all our post-op patients w/o incident or problem. And it WORKS better than most narcs do. Good drug, unless there are contra-indications, like allergy or low platelet counts.

SuperFlyRN · Feb 23, 2006

Hmmmm curious. We use Toradol for all our post-op patients w/o incident or problem. And it WORKS better than most narcs do. Good drug, unless there are contra-indications, like allergy or low platelet counts.

Our anesthestists can be VERY hard-headed when they want to me. I have found it to be very different between when I work in the US and here. There is a lot more freedom and communication between the residents/nurse/doctors (the facility I am at anyway) as opposed to here. We follow a hospital formulary and Toradol is Non-Form which requires a ream of paperwork to "allow" the drug and the docs just are not willing to do it, is what it comes down to. Not as long as there are other acceptable, similar acting drugs available (and NOTHING is like Toradol, I agree it is fantastic). Administration sure can make life (nursing) harder than it needs to be!

camay1221_RN · Feb 24, 2006

Hmmmm curious. We use Toradol for all our post-op patients w/o incident or problem. And it WORKS better than most narcs do. Good drug, unless there are contra-indications, like allergy or low platelet counts.

We LOVE Toradol for our c-section moms! They love it too!