Palliative medicine
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Palliative medicine · Jan 2006
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative StudyOpioid-induced respiratory effects: new data on buprenorphine.
When selecting the appropriate long-acting opioid to treat cancer pain, both analgesic efficacy and safety need consideration. Generally, opioids are well tolerated. However, of opioid-typical adverse events, respiratory depression is especially important because of the risk of a fatal outcome. ⋯ In conclusion, buprenorphine is more favourable compared with fentanyl in respect to ventilatory control. Buprenorphine causes limited respiratory depression with a ceiling effect at higher doses, while fentanyl causes dose-dependent respiratory depression with apnoea at high dose levels. In the rare instance of respiratory depression, reversal is possible with a sufficient and continuous infusion of naloxone.
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Palliative medicine · Jan 2006
ReviewRenal impairment: a challenge for opioid treatment? The role of buprenorphine.
Impairment of renal function is common among elderly patients due to an age-related decline in renal excretory function. In addition, many diseases such as hypertension and diabetes mellitus are associated with an accelerated decline in renal function. Renal dysfunction affects the metabolism of compounds and thus has important therapeutic consequences for drug safety. ⋯ Morphine appears to be difficult to process in haemodialysis patients due to possible 'rebound' of metabolites between dialysis sessions. By contrast, the pharmacokinetics of buprenorphine are unchanged in haemodialysis patients, which means that there is no need for dose-reduction with this drug. Thus, in patients with reduced renal function, chronic renal insufficiency and haemodialysis, buprenorphine appears to be a safe choice when opioid treatment is initiated.
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Transdermal buprenorphine has been assessed as a therapy for chronic cancer and non-cancer pain in both clinical and postmarketing surveillance studies. Data from 239 patients who had participated in a follow-up study of up to six years have shown efficacy and safety, and good tolerability over prolonged treatment periods with a marked stability of doses. From the cancer pain population (134 patients), 20% stayed on transdermal buprenorphine until the end of their lives. ⋯ When switching of opioids is indicated to improve pain relief or reduce adverse events, equipotency dosage ratios are important. The equipotency ratio for morphine to buprenorphine, previously established as 75:1, is now being questioned as new data from a retrospective cohort study were published indicating a ratio of 100:1. Moreover, transdermal buprenorphine has superior safety in respect to respiratory depression, immunological and renal effects compared with standard World Health Organization step III opioids, which makes it highly suitable for treating moderate-to-severe pain also in cancer patients, a per se vulnerable patient population requiring a sensible selection of potent analgesics.
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Palliative medicine · Jan 2006
Opioid switching from oral slow release morphine to oral methadone may improve pain control in chronic non-malignant pain: a nine-month follow-up study.
Twelve patients with poor pain control or unacceptable side effects during treatment with morphine were switched to methadone and followed for nine months in this open prospective study. Primary outcomes were patient preference for opioid and pain control while physical, cognitive and role functioning were secondary outcomes. The morphine dose was decreased by 1/3 daily and was replaced with an equianalgesic dose of methadone over a three-day period. ⋯ Four patients were switched back to morphine due to poor pain control, drowsiness or sweating. Seven patients preferred long-term (>nine months) treatment with methadone and reported reduced pain and improved functioning while cognition was not improved. This study brings novel information on the long-term consequences for pain control, health-related quality of life and cognitive functioning with a switch from morphine to methadone in the treatment of chronic non-malignant pain.