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An opioid overdose is toxicity due to excessive consumption of opioids, such as morphine, codeine, heroin, fentanyl, tramadol, and methadone. [3] [5] This preventable pathology can be fatal if it leads to respiratory depression, a lethal condition that can cause hypoxia from slow and shallow breathing. [3]
The symptoms can often be divided into differing toxidromes. This can help one determine what class of drug or toxin is causing the difficulties. Symptoms of opioid overdoses include slow breathing, heart rate and pulse. [6] Opioid overdoses can also cause pinpoint pupils, and blue lips and nails due to low levels of oxygen in the blood.
The majority of drug-related deaths involve misuse of heroin or other opioids in combination with benzodiazepines or other CNS depressant drugs. In most cases of fatal overdose it is likely that lack of opioid tolerance combined with the depressant effects of benzodiazepines is the cause of death.
Tissue hypoxia refers to low levels of oxygen in the tissues of the body and the term hypoxia is a general term for low levels of oxygen. [2] Hypoxemia is usually caused by pulmonary disease whereas tissue oxygenation requires additionally adequate circulation of blood and perfusion of tissue to meet metabolic demands.
A person overdosing on opioids or opiates is presented with respiratory depression, a lethal condition that can cause hypoxia from slow and shallow breathing. [148] Mixing opioids with another depressant, such as benzodiazepines or alcohol, increases the chance of an overdose and respiratory depression.
As the opioid pain meds became scarce, a cheaper opioid began to take over the market — heroin. Frieden said three quarters of heroin users started with pills. Federal and Kentucky officials told The Huffington Post that they knew the move against prescription drugs would have consequences.
Chest wall. Wooden chest syndrome is a rigidity of the chest following the administration of high doses of opioids during anesthesia [1]. [1]Wooden chest syndrome describes marked muscle rigidity — especially involving the thoracic and abdominal muscles — that is an occasional adverse effect associated with the intravenous administration of lipophilic synthetic opioids such as fentanyl [2].
In 2011, it was the leading cause of drug-related deaths in the U.S. [56] However, from 2012 onwards, heroin and fentanyl have become more common causes of drug-related deaths. [56] Oxycodone overdose has also been described to cause spinal cord infarction in high doses and ischemic damage to the brain, due to prolonged hypoxia from suppressed ...