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Cancer Patients with Solid Tumors in a Tertiary Care Centre: A Retrospective Study

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Background: This study evaluated the prescribing pattern of analgesics in very terminal ill cancer patients who succumbed to their illness in a tertiary care hospital. Methods: This retrospective study was conducted in the Medical Records Department by observing for the type of cancer and previous treatment, details on recurrence/metastasis, co morbidities, pain when got admitted and the analgesics prescribed. The details were tabulated and subjected to frequency and percentage analysis. Results: In total, there were 173 deaths due to cancer during the study period (48% female, and 52% males). Most patients were in the age group of 41 to 50 and from town background (44.5%). Co morbidity was observed only in 24.6% of the patients and hypertension was the most commonly observed (13.3%). Most of the admission was due to complications of advanced cancer and metastasis. A range of analgesics were used to mitigate the pain. Tramadol alone (31.2%) was used in the maximum number of cases followed by morphine (26%). Combination of paracetamol and tramadol, tramadol and morphine and all the three were also used. Morphine alone (26%) and or in combination with other analgesics (7.4%) was also used. Morphine tables were the most prescribed over the injections. Conclusions: Analgesics have been increasingly prescribed in very terminally ill people with cancer. However, morphine was relatively under-prescribed. Relevant studies need to be carried out to determine the barriers for using morphine through prospective studies.

Perspectives

Background: This study evaluated the prescribing pattern of analgesics in very terminal ill cancer patients who succumbed to their illness in a tertiary care hospital. Methods: This retrospective study was conducted in the Medical Records Department by observing for the type of cancer and previous treatment, details on recurrence/metastasis, co morbidities, pain when got admitted and the analgesics prescribed. The details were tabulated and subjected to frequency and percentage analysis. Results: In total, there were 173 deaths due to cancer during the study period (48% female, and 52% males). Most patients were in the age group of 41 to 50 and from town background (44.5%). Co morbidity was observed only in 24.6% of the patients and hypertension was the most commonly observed (13.3%). Most of the admission was due to complications of advanced cancer and metastasis. A range of analgesics were used to mitigate the pain. Tramadol alone (31.2%) was used in the maximum number of cases followed by morphine (26%). Combination of paracetamol and tramadol, tramadol and morphine and all the three were also used. Morphine alone (26%) and or in combination with other analgesics (7.4%) was also used. Morphine tables were the most prescribed over the injections. Conclusions: Analgesics have been increasingly prescribed in very terminally ill people with cancer. However, morphine was relatively under-prescribed. Relevant studies need to be carried out to determine the barriers for using morphine through prospective studies.

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This page is a summary of: Study of Prescription Pattern of Analgesics in Terminally Ill Cancer Patients with Solid Tumors in a Tertiary Care Centre: A Retrospective Study, Indian Journal of Anaesthesia and Analgesia, January 2018, Red Flower Publication Private, Ltd.,
DOI: 10.21088/ijaa.2349.8471.5218.22.
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