Drug delivery for intractable cancer pain. Use of a new disposable parenteral infusion device for continuous outpatient epidural narcotic infusion.

Administration of narcotic analgesics through the epidural route has proven useful for treating pain of acute and chronic nature. This route of narcotic administration is frequently chosen for cancer patients with intractable pain that may be refractory to treatment by conventional oral or parenteral therapy. Implantable constant infusion devices have been commonly described as an alternative drug delivery system for this type of patient. This case report describes the use of the Travenol Infusor (Travenol Laboratories Inc., Deerfield, Illinois) an external, lightweight, disposable, drug delivery device for delivering continuous epidural morphine infusion to a patient with severe cancer pain. The patient has achieved stable pain relief for greater than 8 months without hospital admission for pain control, or management of complications due to the drug delivery system. The Travenol Infusor may prove to be an alternative drug delivery system for patients requiring continuous epidural narcotic infusion.