J Korean Pain Soc.  1996 Jun;9(1):75-82.

Intravenous PCA for Pain Management in Terminal Cancer Patients during the Last Days of Life

• Song SO
• Yeo JE
• Kim HD
• Park DP
• Koo BU
• Lee BY
• Hur NS
• Lee KS

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Nerve blocks, including epidural analgesia, can be risky for terminal cancer pain patients in generally poor conditions. We performed this study to evaluate the efficacy of intravenous patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) to treat severe pain of terminally ill cancer patients during the last days of life.
METHODS
We explained the patient's poor general condition to relatives and received a written consent to administer PCA. The starting dose of opioid for PCA in cancer pain management was based on previous 24-hour dose. Previous 24-hour opioid dose was converted to intramuscular morphine equivalent. The concentration of opioid mixed into Basal Bolus Infusor was controlled to allow for one half of the previous 24-hour equianalgesic dose to infuse continuously. Patients controlled their pain by pushing the PCA module themselves. Patients were observed by pain service team. Some discharged patients were treated at home until death.
RESULTS
Forty eight patients received PCA for last two years. The most common reason receiving a PCA was the patients poor general condition (52.0%). The mean starting dose of PCA was 20.6 +/- 16.2mg of morphine. Over eighty percents of the patients were in good or tolerable state of analgesia. Half of the patients expired within one week. The mean duration of PCA was 8.7 +/- 7.0 days. The problems during PCA were: difficulty in maintaining intravenous routes, early loss of mentality after starting PCA, hypotension and nausea.
CONCLUSION
We concluded that PCA, if used correctly, is an effective, relatively safe and readily controllable method of pain management in terminally ill cancer patients during the last days of life. For future considerations, terminal patients may expire at the comfort of their own homes after the resolution of legal problems regarding using opioid in home care.

Keyword

Cancer Pain; Patient-controlled analgesia (PCA)

MeSH Terms

Analgesia
Analgesia, Epidural
Analgesia, Patient-Controlled
Home Care Services
Humans
Hypotension
Infusion Pumps
Morphine
Nausea
Nerve Block
Pain Management*
Passive Cutaneous Anaphylaxis*
Terminally Ill
Morphine