A nurse is assessing a client who received hydromorphone 4 mg IV 15 min ago. The client has a respiratory rate of 10/min. The nurse should prepare to administer which of the following medications?

Rationale: A. Acetylcysteine is the antidote for acetaminophen (paracetamol) overdose. It works by replenishing glutathione to prevent liver damage and has no role in reversing opioid-induced respiratory depression. B. Flumazenil is the antidote for benzodiazepine overdose (e.g., diazepam, lorazepam). It reverses sedation from benzodiazepines but does not reverse opioid effects such as hydromorphone-induced respiratory depression. C. Naloxone is an opioid antagonist used to reverse opioid toxicity, including respiratory depression caused by medications such as hydromorphone. A respiratory rate of 10/min following IV opioid administration indicates opioid-induced respiratory depression, which requires immediate reversal with naloxone to restore adequate ventilation. D. Protamine sulfate is the antidote for heparin overdose. It neutralizes heparin’s anticoagulant effects and is used in cases of excessive bleeding or heparin toxicity, not opioid overdose.