Hypotension, hypoventilation, and pinpoint pupils would be expected following an overdose of:

Hypotension, hypoventilation, and pinpoint pupils would be expected following an overdose of:

• A. Crack cocaine
• B. Amphetamine sulfate
• C. Oxycodone
• D. Ecstasy

Answer: (C)

Overdose with opioids like oxycodone causes respiratory depression because mu opioid receptors in the brainstem blunt the respiratory drive, leading to hypoventilation. They also produce pinpoint pupils by increasing parasympathetic influence on the pupil and can cause hypotension due to vasodilation and reduced sympathetic tone. When you see this combination—slow, shallow breathing with tiny pupils and low blood pressure—it points to an opioid overdose. The other substances listed are stimulants that elevate sympathetic activity, causing hypertension and dilated pupils rather than pinpoint pupils, so they don’t produce this same triad. Naloxone is the antidote that can reverse these effects.

Overdose with opioids like oxycodone causes respiratory depression because mu opioid receptors in the brainstem blunt the respiratory drive, leading to hypoventilation. They also produce pinpoint pupils by increasing parasympathetic influence on the pupil and can cause hypotension due to vasodilation and reduced sympathetic tone. When you see this combination—slow, shallow breathing with tiny pupils and low blood pressure—it points to an opioid overdose. The other substances listed are stimulants that elevate sympathetic activity, causing hypertension and dilated pupils rather than pinpoint pupils, so they don’t produce this same triad. Naloxone is the antidote that can reverse these effects.