Pain Management Nursing Practice Exam 2025 – The Complete All-in-One Guide to Exam Success!

Reassessing an opioid-naïve patient every 15 minutes for 2 hours after administering naloxone is crucial because the duration of action of naloxone is shorter than that of methadone. Naloxone provides rapid reversal of opioid effects by competitively binding to opioid receptors, but its action is temporary, typically lasting 30 to 90 minutes. In contrast, methadone, which is a long-acting opioid, can remain active in the system for several hours to days.

This difference in duration is significant because once the effects of naloxone wear off, the opioid effects can return if the patient has not received further treatment for the opioid overdose. Therefore, continuous monitoring is necessary to ensure the patient remains stable and does not re-experience respiratory depression or loss of consciousness due to the resurgence of methadone's effects. This careful reassessment helps in timely interventions if the patient begins to exhibit signs of respiratory distress or altered mental state once naloxone's effect diminishes.