International journal of palliative nursing
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Dion Smyth's review of palliative nursing on the internet.
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Many palliative care health settings that care for children and young people (CYP) at the end of life use the buccal mucosa as a route of drug administration to manage the sudden onset of symptoms, such as seizures, agitation and dyspnoea, and for breakthrough pain management. The buccal route is a minimally invasive method that delivers fast symptom relief and is useful for those with swallowing impairment or reduced enteral absorption. ⋯ Buccal opioids, specifically buccal diamorphine, are an effective strategy to treat breakthrough pain or dyspnoea in CYP.