Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
How naloxone reverses fentanyl effects in working dogs
By Barr, Ciara A et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·2023·Department of Clinical Sciences and Advanced Medicine, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of intranasal and intramuscular administration of naloxone in working dogs administered fentanyl.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of ten healthy working dogs, around 1.7 years old, were given fentanyl to induce sedation and then treated with naloxone, either through an injection (intramuscular) or a nasal spray (intranasal), to reverse the sedation. Both methods effectively reduced sedation levels, although the injection led to higher levels of naloxone in the bloodstream. The dogs showed improvement in their sedation scores within minutes after receiving naloxone, regardless of the method used. This study suggests that both intranasal and intramuscular naloxone can be effective for reversing fentanyl sedation in dogs.
People also search for: dog fentanyl sedation reversal · naloxone for dogs · working dog sedation treatment
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Working dogs exposed to narcotics might require reversal in the field. OBJECTIVE: To explore the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic effects of naloxone administered intramuscularly (IM) or intranasally (IN) to reverse fentanyl sedation in working dogs. ANIMALS: Ten healthy, working dogs aged 1.7 ± 1 year and weighing 26 ± 3 kg. METHODS: In this randomized, controlled cross-over study dogs received either 4 mg of naloxone IN or IM 10 minutes after fentanyl (0.3 mg IV) administration. Sedation was assessed at baseline and 5 minutes after fentanyl administration, then at 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 60 and 120 minutes after reversal with naloxone. Blood samples for naloxone detection were obtained at 0, 5, 10, 30, 60 and 120 minutes. Pharmacokinetic parameters and sedation scores were compared between IM and IN naloxone groups. RESULTS: There was a significant increase in sedation score from baseline (0.25 [-4 to 1] IM; 0 [-2 to 1] IN) after fentanyl administration (11 [5-12] IM; 9.25 [4-11] IN), followed by a significant reduction at 5 (0.5 [-0.5 to 1.5] IM; 1.25 [-1.5 to 4.5] IN) through 120 minutes (-0.5 [-2 to 1] IM; 0 [-4.5 to 1] IN) after reversal with naloxone. Route of administration had no significant effect on sedation score. Maximum plasma concentration was significantly lower after IN administration (11.7 [2.8-18.8] ng/mL IN, 36.7 [22.1-56.4] ng/mL IM, P < .001) but time to reach maximum plasma concentration was not significantly different from IM administration. CONCLUSION AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Although IM administration resulted in higher naloxone plasma concentrations compared to IN, reversal of sedation was achieved via both routes after administration of therapeutic doses of fentanyl.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37861360/