HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Patch, G. G. Articles by Datz, F. L. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Patch, G. G. Articles by Datz, F. L.

Naloxone Reverses Pattern of Obstruction of the Distal Common Bile Duct Induced by Analgesic Narcotics in Hepatobiliary Imaging

Department of Radiology, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah
Nuclear Medicine Section, VA Medical Center, Salt Lake City, Utah

Correspondence: For reprints contact: Kathryn A. Morton, MD, Chief of Nuclear Medicine, 115, VA Medical Center, 500 Foothill Blvd., Salt Lake City, UT 84148.

ABSTRACT

It is widely known that narcotics, such as morphine, cause spasm of the sphincter of Oddi, increasing pressure in the common bile duct. This pharmacologic effect has been applied to hepatobiliary scintigraphy in patients with chronic cholecystitis or cholestasis to reducing the time required for a diagnostic study. However, this feature of narcotics could result in delayed or nonvisualization of the small bowel, simulating a distal common bile duct obstruction, in patients requiring parenteral narcotic analgesics who must undergo hepatobiliary scintigraphy. We report on three patients where administration of intravenous naloxone hydrochloride (Narcan), a narcotic antagonist, was helpful in distinguishing narcotic-induced spasm of the sphincter of Oddi from true obstruction of the common bile duct.