A nurse is caring for a client who has opioid toxicity and has a respiratory rate of 6/min. Which of the following medications should the nurse plan to administer?

Choice A reason: Naloxone reverses opioid toxicity by antagonizing opioid receptors, rapidly restoring respiratory drive in a client with a rate of 6/min. This is critical for preventing hypoxia, making it the correct medication to administer. Choice B reason: Protamine reverses heparin, not opioids. It has no effect on respiratory depression from opioid toxicity, making it irrelevant and incorrect for addressing the client’s life-threatening condition. Choice C reason: Flumazenil reverses benzodiazepines, not opioids. It won’t address respiratory depression from opioid toxicity, which requires naloxone, making this incorrect for the client’s current emergency situation. Choice D reason: Epinephrine treats anaphylaxis or cardiac arrest, not opioid-induced respiratory depression. It doesn’t reverse opioid effects, making it incorrect compared to naloxone for managing opioid toxicity.