A patient is brought to the emergency department with decreased respirations and somnolence. The nurse notes a heart rate of 60 beats per minute and a blood pressure of 80/58 mm Hg. The patient is known to take alprazolam (Xanax) to treat anxiety. Which medication will the nurse anticipate the provider to order?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Flumazenil (Romazicon) is a benzodiazepine antagonist that can reverse the effects of alprazolam and other benzodiazepines. Given the patient's symptoms and vital signs, it is likely that the patient has taken too much alprazolam, resulting in respiratory depression and somnolence. Flumazenil can quickly reverse these effects and improve the patient's condition. The other options listed are not appropriate for this situation; benztropine is an anticholinergic medication used to treat extrapyramidal symptoms, lorazepam is another benzodiazepine that would worsen the patient's symptoms, and propranolol is a beta-blocker used to treat hypertension and cardiac arrhythmias, which are not primary concerns for this patient.

A Patient Is Brought to the Emergency Department with Decreased