After administering naloxone hydrochloride for respiratory depression, the nurse checks for which possible outcome?

When naloxone hydrochloride is administered to reverse respiratory depression, one of the primary effects to monitor closely is the potential for a sudden increase in pain. Naloxone is an opioid antagonist, meaning that it blocks the effects of opioids, including their pain-relieving properties.

In patients who have been using opioids for pain management, the abrupt reversal of the opioid's effects can lead to a significant increase in pain, which might have been controlled by the opioids prior to administration of naloxone. This outcome is particularly critical to recognize, as the patient's comfort and pain management must be assessed following the use of naloxone.

Monitoring pupillary changes and lung wheezes, while important, do not directly relate to the immediate outcomes of naloxone administration in the context of respiratory depression. Pupillary changes may occur as the respiratory depression resolves, but they are not as critical to monitor compared to measuring pain levels and overall patient comfort. Scattered lung wheezes may indicate other respiratory issues but are not a specific outcome of naloxone use. Sudden episodes of diarrhea can occur in the setting of opioid withdrawal, but they are less immediate and relevant compared to the potential for an increase in pain immediately following the administration of nal