At high doses or in sensitive patients, Vicodin may produce dose-related respiratory depression by acting directly on the brain stem respiratory center. Vicodin also affects the center that controls respiratory rhythm and may produce irregular and periodic breathing.
The respiratory depressant effects of narcotics such as Vicodin and their capacity to elevate cerebrospinal fluid pressure may be markedly exaggerated in the presence of head injury, other intracranial lesions, or a pre-existing increase in intracranial pressure. Furthermore, narcotics such as Vicodin produce adverse reactions which may obscure the clinical course of patients with head injuries.
The administration of narcotics such as Vicodin may obscure the diagnosis or clinical course of patients with acute abdominal conditions.
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