Several
opioids are in common use in a palliative care setting. Opioids differ
in several ways including their potency, onset, and duration of action.
The choice of opioid and the route of delivery is dependent on the
specific patient's situation.
It
may be necessary to convert
from one opioid to another or
to move from one delivery system to another when
a patient's symptoms or location change over the course
of therapy.
After completing this module you will be able
to:
List the primary drugs used in palliative care.
List the conversion ratio approximations to oral morphine.
Describe
how to calculate equianalgesic opioid dose equivalents.
Demonstrate how to convert from one equianalgesic dose of
opioid to another.
