[How we use opioid drugs on patients with neoplasms].
OBJECTIVE
To find the pattern of use of opiate drugs for treating pain in terminal cancer patients.


METHODS
Retrospective descriptive study.


METHODS
Gavà 2 Health Centre, located in Barcelona's industrial belt.


METHODS
Systematic review of the clinical records for the deaths recorded between May 1993 and March 1998. The following variables were recorded: age, sex, cause and place of death, professional attending patient during terminal phase, use of opiates (type, how they were taken, dosage and length of treatment) and prescribing doctor.


RESULTS
Of the 429 deaths reviewed, 100 (23%) were caused by neoplasm (68% males), with an average age of 69 +/- 3 years. More than half the patients (55%) died at home. In the terminal phase they were mainly attended (69%) by their Primary Care team. 52% of the patients were given opiates, with morphine being the most common (71.1%), followed by codeine (40.3%) and tramadol (17.3%). The general practitioner was the prescribing agent in 69.2% of the cases. 76% of the patients who took codeine did so at infra-therapeutic doses (< 120 mg per day). Similarly, insufficient doses of morphine (< 60 mg per day) were given to half the patients who received it. 21.62% only took it during a period of 5 days or less before death.


CONCLUSIONS
Primary care teams are taking on steadily greater protagonism in caring for terminal cancer patients. Although a large number of these patients are treated with opiates, these are given at often insufficient doses and for too short time periods.
Rispau Falgàs
A
A
ABS Gavà II, Barcelona.
Soler Vila
M
M
García Bayo
I
I
Vallés Plasencia
A
A
Saladich Puig
R
R
Martínez Alemany
V
V
D000368:Aged; D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002423:Cause of Death; D004363:Drug Utilization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D013727:Terminal Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013997:Time Factors
D000701:Analgesics, Opioid