Naloxone reversal of postoperative apnea in a premature infant

Infants with the apnea syndrome who have not had previous surgery have high endorphin levels in the cerebrospinal fluid. Anesthetics also increase the release of endorphin. Thus, elevation of cerebral endorphins may play a role in perioperative apnea by preterm infants. On the basis of this hypothesis, we administered the opiate antagonist naloxone to an infant with post-operative apnea resulting in the restoration of normal respiration.