The reversal for opioids is:

• A. Naloxone
• B. Atipamezole
• C. Flumazenil
• D. Naltrexone

Answer: (A)

Naloxone is the reversal agent for opioids. It acts as a competitive antagonist at mu-opioid receptors, binding with higher affinity than many opioids and displacing them. This rapidly reverses the dangerous effects of overdose, especially respiratory depression and sedation, allowing breathing to improve quickly. Because its duration of action is shorter than many opioids, symptoms can return, so additional doses or a short infusion may be needed.

The other options don’t reverse opioids in acute overdose. One reverses alpha-2 agonists used in veterinary medicine, not opioids. Another blocks benzodiazepine effects via the GABA system, not opioid receptors. The last is a long-acting opioid antagonist used for maintenance to prevent relapse, not for immediate reversal of overdose.