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Opioids, respiratory function, and dyspnea.

Susan B LeGrand1, Elias A Khawam, Declan Walsh

  • 1The Harry R. Horvitz Center for Palliative Medicine, Cleveland Clinic Taussig Cancer Center, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.

The American Journal of Hospice & Palliative Care
|February 6, 2003
PubMed
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Opioids effectively manage dyspnea, or difficult breathing, in advanced illnesses when the cause is irreversible. This review covers how opioids work and their proven benefits for symptom relief.

Area of Science:

  • Respiratory Medicine
  • Palliative Care
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Dyspnea is a common, debilitating symptom in advanced cancer and progressive cardiopulmonary diseases.
  • Current treatments focus on correcting the underlying cause, which is often not possible in incurable conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the pathophysiology of dyspnea.
  • To explore the proposed mechanisms of opioid action in managing dyspnea.
  • To summarize the evidence supporting opioid efficacy for dyspnea relief in palliative care.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of current knowledge on dyspnea pathophysiology.
  • Analysis of proposed mechanisms of opioid action.
  • Synthesis of evidence regarding opioid efficacy in symptom management.

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Main Results:

  • Opioids are the primary pharmacologic agents for symptomatic relief of dyspnea in palliative care settings.
  • Evidence supports the efficacy of opioids in reducing the sensation of difficult breathing.

Conclusions:

  • In incurable diseases with irreversible causes, opioids are the recommended treatment for managing dyspnea.
  • Further research into opioid mechanisms may refine their use in palliative care for respiratory symptoms.