All About Nursing

Methadone – Pain Medication (reading & sharing)

Methadone hydrochloride (Dolophine) is a synthetic opioid analgesic (Schedule II). Management of moderate to severe pain unresposive to non-narcotics; used in narcotic detoxification maintenance programs and for the treatment of iatrogenic narcotic dependence.

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All About Nursing · Hospice & Palliative Care

Pain Management at the End of Life (Reading and Sharing)

The prevalence of pain varies by dx, stage of disease, and setting of care. Approximately 1/3 of patients with cancer experience pain at the time of diagnosis, while 2/3 with metastatic disease report pain. Less is known about the prevalence of pain in those with diagnoses other than cancer.

Pain is described by the World Health Organization as a “multidimensional phenomenon with sensory, physiological, cognitive, affective, behavioral and spiritual components.” Pain is a complex biopsychosocial phenomenon, an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage or described in these terms. (Pain is whatever the patient says it is.)

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