Palliative Care Flashcards
3 parts to palliative care
- Physical
- Psychosocial
- Spiritual
3 reasons symptomatic relief is important
Reduces QoL
Causes distress
Results in admissions
Nausea + vomiting causes?
(3B’s + examples)
3 B’s:
1. Bowels - constipation, infection, obstruction, mucositis
- Brain - Raised ICP
- Biochemical - Meds (e.g. opioids), hypercalcaemia, infection, uraemia
Central + 4 surrounding systems that play a role in vomiting + their receptors
ALL FEED INTO VOMITING CENTRE - 5HT3, H2, ACh
- Chemoreceptor trigger zone (CMT) - 5HT3 + D2
2.Gut wall - 5HT3
- Limbic system/Higher centres - Neurokinin 1 + GABA + 5HT3
- Vestibular system - H1 + muscAch
How do causes (3b’s) + systems of vomiting = cause it?
Gut wall –> distension stimulates vagus - constipation, chemo, obstruction = stimulates enterochromaffin cells
Chemoreceptor trigger zone - uraemia, drugs, chemo, hypercalcaemia
Vestibular system –> vertigo+motion sickness
Limbic system –> emotion + hyponatraemia
Name some antiemetics + which nausea cause (3B’s) they work on.
What is most often used first-line in palliative care + why?
Bowels only:
Domperidone (D2)
Bowels+Brain
Ondansetron (5HT3)
Metoclopramide (D2)
Biochemistry+Brain
Haloperidol (D2) - EPSE!!
Levopromazine (D2, H1, 5HT3, Anti-musc)
Brain only:
Cyclizine (H1, Antimusc)
RECEPTORS ALL A BIT BOLLOCKS - SO DON’T WORRY ABOUT ‘EM
Haloperidol used 1st line - as acts on CTZ = outside blood-brain barrier. Opioids are commonly used in palliative care patients and don’t cross blood-brain barrier, so haloperiodol is good at prevent nausea from these.
Why shouldn’t you prescribe cyclizine + metoclopramide?
C = constipating
M = Diarrhoea (as is a prokinetic)
the 2 counteract each other in the bowels
Define pain
An unpleasant sensory or emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage
WHO pain ladder:
1.What’s it used for
2. Brief outline
used for CANCER PAIN
Outline:
1. weak analgesia
-Paracetamol + NSAIDs
-Adjuvants
- Weak Opioids
-Codeine/Tramadol
-Adjuvants
-Non-opioid - Strong Opioids
-Morphine, Oxycodone, Diamorphine, Fentanyl, Bupenephrine…etc.
-Adjuvants
-Non-opioid
Cautions with paracetamol?
Liver impariment
cachexia
Cautions with NSAIDs?
(inlcuding CIs + drug interactions)
Renal impairment
Low platelets
CIs:
-GI bleed, asthma
Drugs:
Warfarin,
Digoxin
steroids
Cautions with strong opioids?
Opioid naive
Renal impairment
Driving
Prescribe for side effect - i.e. GIVE stimulant+softening LAXATIVE
Patient stigma
What 2 types of pain = trying to be controlled in palliative care?
Background
Breakthrough
Potency of Codeine/Tramadol to Morphine?
C/T 1:10 Morphine
Morphine is 10x as potent
Which is stronger Morphine or oxycodone? By how much?
Oxycodone (also better SE profile)
2x