The American journal of hospice & palliative care
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Am J Hosp Palliat Care · Jan 1994
Intermittent subcutaneous infusion of opioids in hospice home care: an effective, economical, manageable option.
Administration of oral opioids is not always possible for terminally-ill patients. Obstruction, emesis, or inability to swallow frequently force us to seek alternative routes of administration. When the rectal route is contraindicated, impractical, or otherwise rejected by the patient or caregivers, we must resort to the parenteral route. ⋯ Of the 42 percent of patients able to indicate a pain rating (0-10 scale) all rated their pain at 2 or below while using the subcutaneous route. No objective signs of pain were noted by caregivers or hospice nurses in the 58 percent of patients who were unable to rate their pain. The mean duration of time the needle remained in place was 4.62 days, with a range of 1-26 days.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)