Title : Factors predicting hospital stays of patients with advanced cancer receiving morphine and its derivatives
Abstract:
Cancer, a horrible disease, kills a number of patients at the early rank. Victims have to face with not only the disease itself but also its metastasis and treatment. Consequently, it disturbs patients’ physical, financial and psychological problems as well as spiritual status with symptoms of pain, dyspnea, fatigue, loss of appetite and weight loss. In addition, they have much concern about their appearance and expenditure. Though advanced cancer-related symptoms are uncontrollable in these patients, painkiller and palliative treatments in the hospital would help to alleviate their despair. Morphine and its derivatives play a crucial role in pain management, particularly in patients with advanced cancer. However, the efficacy depends on pathophysiology of the disease, intensity of pain, and patient background other than its pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamics. Considerably, the administration of morphine is not without adverse effects; namely, respiratory depression, hypotension, nausea, vomiting, itching, incontinence of urine, constipation, dizziness, drowsiness, myoclonus, delirium and euphoria. In addition, patients with severe dehydration, systemic infection and multiple organs failure worsen the event. As a result, healthcare providers have to organize an effective monitoring for proper dosage and patients’ easiness till the end of their lives. Since intravenous morphine has become an interesting topic in the terminal stage of advanced cancer patients, investigators would like to know the related-factors that can determine their hospital stays during the administration of intravenous morphine and its derivatives.
Take Away Notes:
• To study the relationship between morphine and its derivatives in terms of its side effects and relating to length of hospital stays in advanced cancer patients
• To understand the dosage of morphine and its derivatives providing to advanced cancer patients in the end stage
• To learn relating factors that can predict length of hospital stay among advanced cancer patients receiving morphine and its derivatives
• To create nursing network in cancer field so as to take care of patients in the end of their lives
