CMAJ open
-
Dyspnea that is refractory to conventional treatments affects up to 50% of patients with advanced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Although professional societies recommend opioids in this setting, evidence supporting their use over months is limited. We conducted a multicentre mixed-methods study to understand patients' experiences when opioids are added to optimized conventional treatments for advanced COPD. ⋯ Opioids were a helpful and acceptable intervention for refractory dyspnea in patients with advanced COPD. Many of the patients experienced sustained benefits over months, which supports recent recommendations to consider opioids in this setting.