Will narcan (naloxone) reverse opiate overdose after cardiac arrest has occurred?

Well....: Narcan (naloxone) will reverse the opiate effect if it is circulated by chest compressions; however, if you have a cardiac arrest from an opiate overdose it is likely that you've already suffered a significant brain injury and you may not survive the arrest.

Not likely: Once cardiac arrest has occurred there is no circulation to carry medications especially if CPR is not being done. Furthermore, Narcan (naloxone) will do nothing to reverse an arrest.

Probably not: Narcan (naloxone) will reverse respiratory arrest. This means that if a person has stopped breathing due to an overdose of Oxycontin or heroin, for example, Narcan (naloxone) can bring back the drive to breathe. If the person doesn't breathe for a long time, though, the heart will stop, which is called cardiac arrest, due to lack of oxygen. Narcan (naloxone) won't fix that. This is why narcotic abuse is so dangerous.