____________________________________________ Assessment and Management of Pain at the End of Life
Patients who are following a methadone maintenance program may also fear effective pain management as a risk for recurrent abuse. Two approaches may be followed for these patients: they may receive an increased dose of methadone as the pain reliever or they may be given other opioids along with the same methadone dose, with the dose of the opioid titrated for effective pain relief [12; 33]. Again, involvement of the drug counselor is important. CONCLUSION As many as 96% of people with a life-limiting disease have pain at the end of life, and unrelieved pain is a great fear in this population. However, experts estimate that 75% to 90% of end-of-life pain can be effectively managed. Healthcare professionals should strive to enhance their knowledge of key strategies to achieve high-quality pain management at the end of life through open communication, frequent assessment, and the use of evidence-based pharmacologic and nonpharmaco- logic interventions that are individualized to each patient’s specific situation.
WORKS CITED https://qr2.mobi/Assessment_Pain_EOL
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MDNJ1525
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