A nurse is caring for a client who has hydromorphone toxicity. The nurse should anticipate a prescription for which of the following medications?

Choice A rationale Disulfiram is an aldehyde dehydrogenase inhibitor used in the treatment of chronic alcoholism, causing an unpleasant reaction when alcohol is consumed. It has no pharmacological antagonism to opioids and would not be effective in reversing the effects of hydromorphone toxicity. Choice B rationale Epinephrine is a potent vasoconstrictor and bronchodilator, primarily used in anaphylaxis and cardiac arrest. While it stimulates adrenergic receptors, it does not counteract the central nervous system depression caused by opioid toxicity and is not a specific antidote for hydromorphone. Choice C rationale Naloxone is an opioid antagonist that competitively binds to opioid receptors, displacing opioid agonists like hydromorphone. This action rapidly reverses the central nervous system and respiratory depression characteristic of opioid toxicity, restoring ventilation and consciousness. Choice D rationale Flumazenil is a benzodiazepine receptor antagonist, used to reverse the effects of benzodiazepine overdose. It has no affinity for opioid receptors and therefore would be ineffective in treating hydromorphone toxicity, which is mediated by opioid receptor activation.