title: Opioid medication in the palliative care of motor neurone disease.
abstract: In the palliative care of patients with motor neurone disease (MND) symptoms are encountered that can be helped by the use of strong opioid medication. A retrospective survey of the 32 patients dying of MND at the Wisdom Hospice who required opioids showed that 75% received oral opioids, 94% received parenteral opioids and 72% received both oral and parenteral opioids. The median oral morphine dose was 60 mg/24 h, with a median duration of 51 days and the median parenteral dose was 180 mg/24 h with a median duration of use of three days. The results show that strong opioids can be used safely and effectively in the palliative care of patients with MND.
authors.affiliation: Wisdom Hospice, Rochester, Kent, UK.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Oliver
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000368:Aged; D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D017051:Hospice Care; D006801:Humans; D007273:Injections, Intramuscular; D008297:Male; D009020:Morphine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D016472:Motor Neuron Disease / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000379:methods*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013727:Terminal Care / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D000701:Analgesics, Opioid; D009020:Morphine