If someone is terminally ill with cancer and they will die in a lot of pain do palliative care doctors and nurses secretly up the dose of morphine to make them go quietly?
2006-08-28 06:45:44 · 25 answers · asked by Mrs Joaquin Phoenix 1 in Health ➔ Diseases & Conditions ➔ Cancer
not at all palliative care is to keep the patient pain free and comfortable but never ever to give an overdose
2006-08-28 06:49:04 · answer #1 · answered by Jane S 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I have cared for several dying patients and have never been tempted to overdose them to end their suffering. I personally believe that the end is God's decision. There are things that nurses and doctors know that could be done to end it more quickly, but I don't think there are many out there who would actually do those things. I was asked once by the daughter of a dying patient to give her an extra dose of morphine to put her out of her misery. The daughter argued with me that I could legally do it since I had the doctor's orders. However, I had to explain to her that I not only had to have the order, but I also had to consider her condition. Specifically, since the woman's respiratory rate was 8 per minute, I couldn't give anymore morphine at that time. Had the woman been in obvious pain, I may have been tempted to give her another dose. Thankfully, she was resting well. The daughter just wanted her to go, for many reasons.
To the person who mentioned the morphine on demand pump: Those pumps are programmed with lockouts so that patients cannot overdose themselves. Patients can push the button as many times as they want, but they don't get a dose every time.
2006-08-28 07:34:02 · answer #2 · answered by L S 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I don't know any that do, but if a weak dying patient is given morphine to alleviate pain and the patient dies of respiratory arrest due to the morphine this is OK, as long as the morphine is given in the allowed ranges. I've never heard of anyone giving an overdose. I'm a psychiatric nurse so don't deal with this lots but have nursed a couple of patients dying of cancer and similar illnesses.
2006-08-28 06:58:09 · answer #3 · answered by littlebethan 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No. Anytime a nurse gives morphine, it has to be written as an order by a physician. Sometimes the doses are increased to make the pts more comfortable. I have given many doses of morphine and actually have had families try to get me to euthanize their dying relative by giving it more often or a higher dose than is ordered. Ethically, it is just wrong. The dying pts often have s/s of increasing discomfort such as increase in respiratory rate or moaning in pain. I do not believe a dying person should be awake while they are in the end stages of dying with their eyes open and gasping for breath, so I will give them enough pain medication and sedation to keep them sleeping, but not to hasten their death.
Hospice and cancer RN x 12 years.
2006-08-28 10:33:11 · answer #4 · answered by happydawg 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No, palliative care is only to help keep the patient comfortable. Right now what you are asking about is still considered murder as what i was told in school a few semesters back.
The morphine drip the person a few posts up is talking about - they are usually programmed to only dispense so much extra per hour - you can usually click all you want but once it's reached it's quota, it won't dispense anymore.
2006-08-28 07:33:48 · answer #5 · answered by Weasel 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
interesting question
my mother died of cancer a few weeks ago in an hospice
she received an increase in pain killers when she became uncomfortable, but only after a check with the doctor, and only with the family being advised what was going on
i don't believe that the nurses would do this secretly, being found out would be the end of a carreer
2006-08-29 01:29:07 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I dont think so.I think it depends on a persons perception,another person might think that the nurse is overdosing but in fact in nurses judgement,he/she think patient needs it so i think,doctor,nurses and family members if the patient is unable to participate should all come up with gauge as to what comfort do they want the patient to be in so that overdosing the patient is out of the question.
2006-08-31 06:31:16 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
my uncle died a few years ago.
he'd been in hospital for a couple of weeks with untreatable liver cancer,
he had morphine "on demand", i.e. an IV permanently inserted into a blood vessel and a button to press every time the pain got too much.
Some people believe that this on demand medication is restricted to avoid fatal overdose.
I believe it isn't.
Either way, if he *did* press the button just one time too many, it was his own decision. There was no hope for him to leave the hospital, ever.
If I am ever in that position, I'd like to think that I'd be given the choice to make for myself too, rather than letting a "next-of-kin" type person have to go through the trauma of saying when to pull the plug.........
2006-08-28 07:00:05 · answer #8 · answered by gnyla 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No the pain medication is increased as pain increases. At some point it may depress respiration, but only in Washington State are doctors allowed to give patients deliberate overdose.
2006-08-28 07:06:30 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
you would have to ask every nurse and doctor that , the facts are if you try to keep some one that ill free from pain with morphine, it will hasen their passing , but is that the reason you increase the dose, its a catch 22
2006-08-28 06:54:15 · answer #10 · answered by simon b 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋