STUDY OBJECTIVE: To determine the feasibility and safety of outpatient continuous narcotic infusions with additional bolus capabilities (patient-controlled analgesia) in patients with cancer pain. DESIGN: A single arm (non-randomized) series. SETTING: Outpatient with contact by telephone and through outpatient clinic. PATIENTS: Consecutive series of 18 patients with poorly controlled cancer pain or significant side effects from regular administration of various narcotics. INTERVENTIONS: Patients taught and supervised to use portable pump capable of delivering a continuous narcotic infusion with bolus capabilities. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: All patients had improvement in pain control as judged by the use of a linear analogue scale. Side effects and safety profile were highly acceptable. Narcotics used and maximum doses were meperidine, 50 mg/h; morphine, 80 mg/hr; and hydromorphone, 60 mg/hr. Infusion duration ranged from 7 to 225 days (mean, 54 days). CONCLUSIONS: Continuous narcotic infusions using a programmable portable pump with bolus capabilities is a safe and reliable method of delivering narcotics to outpatients.
STUDY OBJECTIVE: To determine the feasibility and safety of outpatient continuous narcotic infusions with additional bolus capabilities (patient-controlled analgesia) in patients with cancer pain. DESIGN: A single arm (non-randomized) series. SETTING:Outpatient with contact by telephone and through outpatient clinic. PATIENTS: Consecutive series of 18 patients with poorly controlled cancer pain or significant side effects from regular administration of various narcotics. INTERVENTIONS:Patients taught and supervised to use portable pump capable of delivering a continuous narcotic infusion with bolus capabilities. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: All patients had improvement in pain control as judged by the use of a linear analogue scale. Side effects and safety profile were highly acceptable. Narcotics used and maximum doses were meperidine, 50 mg/h; morphine, 80 mg/hr; and hydromorphone, 60 mg/hr. Infusion duration ranged from 7 to 225 days (mean, 54 days). CONCLUSIONS: Continuous narcotic infusions using a programmable portable pump with bolus capabilities is a safe and reliable method of delivering narcotics to outpatients.
Authors: Lisa Nijland; Pia Schmidt; Michael Frosch; Julia Wager; Bettina Hübner-Möhler; Ross Drake; Boris Zernikow Journal: Support Care Cancer Date: 2018-07-28 Impact factor: 3.603
Authors: Angela Maria Sousa; José de Santana Neto; Gabriel M N Guimaraes; Giovana M Cascudo; José Osvaldo B Neto; Hazem A Ashmawi Journal: Support Care Cancer Date: 2013-11-21 Impact factor: 3.603