The nurse is assessing a patient for opioid tolerance. Which finding supports the nurse's assessment?

A) The patient needed a substantial dose of naloxone (Narcan) .
B) The patient needs increasingly higher doses of opioid to control pain.
C) The patient no longer experiences sedation from the usual dose of opioid.
D) The patient asks for pain medication close to the time it is due around the clock.

Opioid tolerance occurs when a patient needs higher doses of an opioid to control pain. Naloxone (Narcan) is an opioid antagonist that is given to reverse the effects of opioid overdose. Taking pain medications regularly around the clock is an effective way to control pain. The pain medication for this patient is most likely effectively managing the patient's pain because the patient is not asking for the medication before it is due. A patient no longer experiencing a side effect (sedation) of an opioid does not indicate opioid tolerance.