Analgesic?

[panda_181]

Okay...I have a friend who's uncle is dying. He's had cancer for a number of years and apparently he's had enough Morphine to kill 8 elephants. So now they have given him this medication...she doesn't remember what it was called and was asking me if I had heard of it, but I haven't a clue. Once they give it to you, you pretty much go to sleep and that's the end of it. They give about 72 hours before you pass away? Does anyone have an idea as to what it would be?

Amanda :)

[rachel h, BSN, RN]

I'm no expert regarding oncology, but what I see used most frequently for comfort is morphine hooked up to a continuous pump and the nurse can increase the amount to provide for the patient's comfort until they pass away. I'm not aware of any drug that they can give you to make you go to sleep until you pass away... maybe an oncology nurse can help.

[ratchit]

I'm also not a heme/onc nurse, but I've never heard of a drug to make you sleep for 3 days until you die...

I wonder if they mean since the patient is now imminently dying and uncomfortable on large doses of MS, they are willing to add in drugs that have more sedative side effects than MS for the sake of comfort. Dilaudid (hydromorphone) comes to mind as a narcotic, or maybe they are adding Ativan in to "boost" the MS.

[panda_181]

Yeah, I was surprised that they weren't using Morphine anymore. Here, we just give them more and more until they're comfortable. So I really have no idea...it sounded wierd to me.

Amanda :)

[P_RN, ADN, RN]

I've had a few patients on a dilaudid drip or dilaudin PCA in basal mode only. It used to be called "snowing" the patient. Comfort measures sits much easier with me.