Acute opioid withdrawal in the emergency department: Inadvertent naltrexone abuse?

  1. Katherine Bristow1,†,
  2. Robert Meek1,‡,*,
  3. Nicholas Clark2,§

Article first published online: 21 DEC 2001

DOI: 10.1046/j.1035-6851.2001.00240.x

Issue

Emergency Medicine

Emergency Medicine

Volume 13, Issue 3, pages 359–363, September 2001

Additional Information

How to Cite

Bristow, K., Meek, R. and Clark, N. (2001), Acute opioid withdrawal in the emergency department: Inadvertent naltrexone abuse?. Emergency Medicine, 13: 359–363. doi: 10.1046/j.1035-6851.2001.00240.x

Author Information

  1. 1

    Emergency Department, Dandenong Hospital,

  2. 2

    Turning Point Alcohol and Drug Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

  1. †

    Katherine Bristow, MB, ChB, Senior Registrar;

  2. ‡

    Robert Meek, MB BS, FACEM, Emergency Physician;

  3. §

    Nicholas Clark, MB BS, GradDipClinEpi, Medical and Research Officer.

* Correspondence:Dr Robert Meek, Emergency Department, Dandenong Hospital, David Street, Dandenong, Vic. 3175, Australia. Email:rmeek@mailcity.com

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 21 DEC 2001
  2. Article first published online: 21 DEC 2001

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Keywords:

  • heroin;
  • naltrexone;
  • opioid;
  • opioid withdrawal

Abstract

From July 1999 it became evident that a rising number of heroin users were presenting to the Dandenong Hospital Emergency Department with a rapid onset, florid opioid withdrawal syndrome following the intravenous injection of what they had believed to be heroin. We suspect that the injected substance was in fact naltrexone. This paper describes two such cases and reviews the literature on naltrexone. Recommendations regarding the management of the acute opioid withdrawal syndrome are made.

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