Palliative care Flashcards
1
Q
Agitation / confusion
A
- look for causes
- eg hypercalcaemia, infection, urinary retention, medications
Mx
- haloperidol
- chlorpromazine, levomepromazine
- terminal - midazolam
2
Q
Hiccups
A
Mx
- chlorpromazine
- haloperidol / gabapentin
- dexamethasone if hepatic lesions
3
Q
Secretions
A
Conservative
- avoid fluid overload - stop IV/SC fluids
- pt not likely troubled by secretions
Medical
- hyoscine butylbromide (buscopan)
- glycopyrronium bromide
4
Q
Pain
A
- regular oral MR / IR morphine, with oral IR morphine for breakthrough
- no comorbidities - 20-30mg MR per day + 5mg morphine breakthrough
- breakthrough 1/6 daily morphine dose
- prescribe laxatives, antiemetics
- CKD - oxycodone over morphine, or if severe then alfentanil, buprenorphine, fentanyl
- metastatic bone pain - strong opioids, bisphosphonates, radiotherapy, denosumab
5
Q
Opioid S/Es
A
nausea, drowsiness, constipation
6
Q
Opioid conversions
A
Oral codeine ->oral morphine
- Divide by 10
Oral tramadol -> oral morphine
- Divide by 10
Oral morphine -> oral oxycodone
- Divide by 1.5/2
Transdermal fentanyl 12mcg patch = 30mg morphine daily
Transdermal buprenorphine 10mcg patch = 24mg oral morphine daily
Oral morphine -> SC morphine
- Divide by 2
Oral morphine -> SC diamorphine
- Divide by 3
Oral oxycodone -> SC diamorphine
- Divide by 1.5
7
Q
WHO pain ladder
A
Step 1
- paracetamol, NSAIDs
- adjuvants
Step 2
- codeine
- step 1
- adjuvants
Step 3
- morphine
- step 1
- adjuvants
8
Q
Adjuvant analgesics
A
- Amitriptyline, carbamazepine, gabapentin, pregabalin, clonazepam, duloxetine, oxcarbazepine
- Local anaesthetics, baclofen, diazepam, antidepressants, corticosteroids, bisphosphonates
9
Q
6 N+V syndromes
A
Reduced gastric motility
- May be opioid related – most frequent in palliative care
- Related to serotonin (5HT4) and dopamine (D2) receptors
Chemically mediated
- From hypercalcaemia, opioids, chemo
Visceral / serosal
- Due to constipation
- Oral candidiasis
Raised ICP
- Eg cerebral metastases
Vestibular
- ACh and histamine (H1) receptors
- Motion related, or due to basal skull tumours
Cortical
- Anxiety, pain, fear, anticipatory nausea
- Related to GABA and histamine (H1) receptors in cerebral cortex
10
Q
N+V non-pharmacological tx
A
- Control odours from colostomy / wounds / fumigating tumours
- Minimise sight/smell of food
- Give small snacks, not large meals
- Try acupressure wrist bands
11
Q
N+V - reduced gastric motility
A
- metoclopramide (CI - obstruction, Parkinson’s - both)
- domperidone
12
Q
N+V - chemically mediated
A
- correct chemical imbalances
- ondansetron (also post-op)
- haloperidol
- levomepromazine
13
Q
N+V - visceral / serosal
A
- cyclizine
- levomepromazine
- hyoscine
14
Q
N+V - raised ICP
A
- cyclizine
- dexamethasone
- radiotherapy
15
Q
N+V - vestibular
A
- cyclizine
- metoclopramide / prochlorperazine
- maybe olanzapine / risperidone
16
Q
N+V - cortical
A
- lorazepam
- cyclizine
- potentially ondansetron / metoclopramide
17
Q
Breathlessness
A
- Morphine
- Tx cause
- Anxiolytic may help - eg diazepam / lorazepam
- Salbutamol / terbutaline
- Ipratropium
- Dexamethasone
- O2 / LTOT
18
Q
Syringe drivers
A
- Consider use when patient unable to take medication orally – due to nausea, dysphagia, intestinal obstruction, weakness, coma
- Majority of drugs compatible with water for injection. Use NaCl 0.9% with - granisetron, ketamine, ketorolac, octreotide, ondansetron
Commonly used drugs
N+V – cyclizine, levomepromazine, haloperidol, metoclopramide
Resp secretions / bowel colic – hyoscine hydrobromide/butylbromide, glycopyrronium bromide
Agitation / restlessness – midazolam, haloperidol, levomepromazine
Pain – diamorphine
19
Q
Metastatic spinal cord compression (MSCC)
A
- cancerous tumour damages / presses on spinal cord
- most common with multiple myeloma, breast, lung, prostate, kidney, thyroid
- 10-20% of pts with spinal mets get this
20
Q
MSCC Px
A
- back pain
- chest/abdo pain
- pain down to legs
- back pain worse at night / lying down / coughing / straining
- localised spinal tenderness
- leg weakness / difficulty standing/walking
- numbness/tingling in legs
- urinary incontinence / retention
- faecal incontinence / constipation
21
Q
MSCC Ix
A
- MRI
- CT +/- myelography
22
Q
MSCC Mx
A
- inform GP / hospital acute oncology team / palliative care team
- lie flat in bed
- pain relief
- bisphosphonates
- dexamethasone
- surgery
- radiotherapy
- OT/PT, psych support
23
Q
SVC obstruction (SVCO)
A
- SVC blocked/compressed by tumour
- lung cancer, also lymphoma, mets from breast, bowel etc
24
Q
SVCO Px
A
- headache, feel full in head, worse bending/lying down
- SOB
- swollen veins in neck/chest
- swelling of face, neck, arms, hands
- changes to vision
- dizziness
- red face, blue skin/lips/tongue
- engorged conjunctiva
- seizure/coma
25
Q
SVCO Ix
A
- CXR
- Doppler
- CT / MRI chest
26
Q
SVCO Mx
A
- loosen clothing, sit up,
- O2
- analgesia
- dexamethasone
- anticoagulants
- chemo/radio
- surgery - stent
27
Q
Malignant hypercalcaemia
A
- caused by changes to bones in pts with cancer - even if not spread to bone
- advanced cancer, also multiple myeloma, breast, lung, kidney, thyroid
28
Q
Malignant hypercalcaemia Px
A
- bones, stones, moans, groans
- malaise, weak, fatigued
- anorexia, N+V
- bone pain
- thirsty, polyuria
- constipation, confusion, drowsy, seizures, delirium
29
Q
Malignant hypercalcaemia Ix
A
- bloods - Ca>2.6 corrected
30
Q
Malignant hypercalcaemia Mx
A
- IV fluids
- bisphosphonates
- ?denosumab
31
Q
Neutropenic sepsis
A
- Temp >38 / sx of sepsis in pt with neutrophils <0.5x10^9/L
- Coag-negative, G+ bacteria most commonly, particularly Staph epidermidis - probably due to indwelling lines
32
Q
Causes of neutropenia
A
- Bone marrow disorders - aplastic anaemia, myelodysplastic syndromes
- Chemotherapy (10d period after when WCC very low)
- Immunosuppressants
- Stem cell transplantation
33
Q
Neutropenic sepsis Px
A
- sepsis, unwell, flu, fever, shivering, agitation, oliguria, diarrhoea, change in behaviour
- pale, mottled skin, rash
34
Q
Neutropenic sepsis Ix
A
FBC, U+E, LFT, albumin, CRP, lactate, cultures
35
Q
Neutropenic sepsis Mx
A
- hospital admission - haematology/oncology
- GP OOH if not for hospital
- sepsis workup
- Abx - tazocin / meropenem
- if no response after 4-6d - Ix for fungal infections
- fluoroquinolone prophylaxis
36
Q
Haemorrhage
A
- loss of large volumes of blood
- advanced cancer
- can be from tumour itself / impaired clotting
- eg head/neck tumours, lung tumours, GI tumours
37
Q
Haemorrhage Px
A
- haemoptysis
- haematemesis
- melaena
- haematuria
- bleeding from ulcers, tumours, wounds on skin
38
Q
Haemorrhage Mx
A
- discuss plans in advance - respect form, living will, DNAR
- midazolam - IV/IM/sublingual
- dark coloured towels
- plastic aprons, gloves, waste bags
- pressure, celox etc
39
Q
Stridor
A
- obstructed airway
- eg head/neck tumour, lung/upper GI tumour
Px
- noisy breathing on inspiration
- SOB - late sign
Ix
- clinical dx
- ENT / maxfax to dx
- CT
Mx
- O2 / heliox
- dexamethasone
- ENT / onc review
- tracheostomy
- stenting
- radiotherapy
40
Q
Opioid OD
A
Px
- reduced GCS
- reduced RR
- pinpoint pupils
- myoclonic jerks
Mx
- naloxone
41
Q
Verification of death
A
- Introduce self to patient / family
- Explain / consent, WIPE etc
- Identify pt from wristband
- Assess voice response
- Assess pain response
- Feel carotid pulse, listen to chest sounds, heart sounds - for 5 full minutes
- Check pupils - fixed / dilated
- Can check corneal reflex
- Check for pacemaker - document presence / absence
- Document time of death - when examination is completed
42
Q
Deaths to be reported to coroner
A
- Unknown cause of death
- Identity of deceased unknown
- Death occurred during / shortly after period of police custody
- No attending medical practitioner available to sign death certificate
- Death may be due to undergoing a medical tx / procedure
- Death may be attributable to person’s employment
- All deaths <24hrs of admission to hospital
- When not seen by medical practitioner in 28d prior to death
- Poisoning - deliberate / accidental
- Exposure to toxic substances - inc radioactive material
- Overdoses
- Death due to violence, trauma, injury
- Death due to self-harm / suicide
- Death may be due to neglect, self-neglect, or neglect on the behalf of others
- Death may be due to abortion
