Withdrawal after naloxone

NCLEX-PN
Psychosocial Integrity
Drop-down cloze
Difficulty 2 of 5

Question

Complete the statement about a client who wakes after receiving naloxone for an opioid overdose.

A client who becomes shaky, sweaty, nauseated, and angry within minutes of waking is most likely experiencing opioid withdrawal brought on by naloxone, so the nurse should stay calm, explain what has occurred, and keep the client safe.

Blank 1 choices: opioid withdrawal brought on by naloxone / a severe allergic reaction to naloxone / the return of opioid toxicity
Blank 2 choices: stay calm, explain what has occurred, and keep the client safe / tell the client that naloxone must not be given again / allow the client to leave once fully awake

Answer

Blank 1: opioid withdrawal brought on by naloxone · Blank 2: stay calm, explain what has occurred, and keep the client safe

Rationale

Naloxone binds opioid receptors and blocks the drug's effects, so a person who is physically dependent can be thrown into withdrawal within minutes. Tremor, sweating, nausea, a fast heart rate, and irritability or anger are expected and usually not dangerous. The nurse responds calmly, explains what has occurred, and keeps everyone safe. More naloxone can still be given if sleepiness returns, and the client needs continued emergency care because naloxone can wear off before the opioid does.

RememberAgitated and sweaty after naloxone is expected withdrawal: reassure, explain, keep safe, and keep watching breathing.

Sources

Sources marked “Adapted from” are licensed under CC BY 4.0. We changed the material: its facts are rewritten into an original question, answer options and rationale. The original authors and publishers do not endorse SwipeExam.

Naloxone Hydrochloride (naloxone hydrochloride) nasal prescribing information, Amneal Pharmaceuticals LLC U.S. Food and Drug Administration (openFDA) · License: CC0 1.0 · Retrieved November 2, 2026 · Warnings; Dosage and administration · effective_time 20260825
Naloxone DrugFacts National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIH) · License: US government work (public domain) · Retrieved November 2, 2026 · What is naloxone?; Tolerance vs. Dependence vs. Addiction · page updated 2026-03-06
Adapted from Open RN Nursing: Mental Health and Community Concepts, 2nd edition: SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS Open RN (Chippewa Valley Technical College) · License: CC BY 4.0 · Retrieved November 2, 2026 · Opioid Use and Intoxication › TREATING OPIOID OVERDOSE · 2nd edition, 2025
Narcan Naloxone HCL (narcan naloxone hcl) nasal prescribing information, HF Acquisition Co LLC, DBA HealthFirst U.S. Food and Drug Administration (openFDA) · License: CC0 1.0 · Retrieved November 2, 2026 · Warnings · effective_time 20240220
buprenorphine hydrochloride and naloxone hydrochloride dihydrate (buprenorphine hydrochloride and naloxone hydrochloride dihydrate) sublingual prescribing information, REMEDYREPACK INC. U.S. Food and Drug Administration (openFDA) · License: CC0 1.0 · Retrieved November 2, 2026 · Warnings and precautions · effective_time 20260817

Last verified: November 2, 2026 3 independent automated checks Question rn-pi-00379, version 1

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