A client who overdosed on an opioid wakes after naloxone and feels better. The client wants to go home. Why must the client still be taken to an emergency department?

1. 1Naloxone causes permanent withdrawal that requires treatment in the emergency department
2. 2Naloxone has a short duration of effect, so overdose symptoms may return
3. 3Naloxone must be given for at least one week under close medical supervision
4. 4The client is no longer able to breathe on their own after receiving naloxone

Source: Nursing Fundamentals, 2nd edition (Open RN, Chippewa Valley Technical College, 2024), Comfort: Pain Management and the Opioid Crisis. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.