[Morphine prescription to terminal cancer patients suffering from severe pain: results of a French survey].
This study aimed to determine factors associated with the prescription of morphine to terminal cancer patients suffering from severe pain. A phone survey was conducted among a sample of French GPs, neurologists and oncologists. Two short clinical cases described a terminally-ill patient with either a peritoneal carcinosis and intestinal occlusion, or a lung cancer, and in both cases suffering from severe pain. Overall, 917 agreed to participate among the 1,743 physicians contacted (global response rate 53%). About half of respondents did not support the prescription of morphine if the patient had an intestinal occlusion. Beliefs toward morphine, uneasiness with terminally-ill patients, age and female gender were independently associated with reluctance to prescribe morphine in presented cases. Specialised training has not completely remove reluctance toward morphine prescription in end-of-life care. Non-medical factors correlated to such reluctance, and especially gender, deserve more attention.
Ben Diane
Marc Karim
MK
Observatoire régional de la santé Provence Alpes Côte d'Azur, 23 rue Stanislas-Torrents, 13006 Marseille.
Peretti-Watel
Patrick
P
Galinier
Anne
A
Favre
Roger
R
Obadia
Yolande
Y
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D005260:Female; D005602:France; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009020:Morphine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications*; D010146:Pain / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000523:psychology; D012737:Sex Factors
D000701:Analgesics, Opioid; D009020:Morphine