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. 2021 Feb 3;20(1):25.
doi: 10.1186/s12904-021-00717-2.

The pattern of change in opioid and adjuvant prescriptions for cancer pain before and after referral to a comprehensive program in the Palliative Care Center in Kuwait

Ameena Mohammed Al-Ansari  1 , Wafaa Mostafa Abd-El-Gawad  2 , Sobhi Mostafa AboSerea  1 , Eman El Sayed ElShereafy  1 , Fatma Abdel Shakor Ali  1 , Mohammed Abd Elaziz ElSayed  1
Affiliations

The pattern of change in opioid and adjuvant prescriptions for cancer pain before and after referral to a comprehensive program in the Palliative Care Center in Kuwait

Ameena Mohammed Al-Ansari et al. BMC Palliat Care. .

Abstract

Background: Cancer-related pain is a complicated symptom that often coincides with fatigue, depression, and anxiety. Although many safe treatments are available, inadequate control of Cancer-related pain continues to lead to suffering in cancer patients. This study's aim is to describe pain control, and the pattern of change in opioid and adjuvant medication prescriptions, before and after referral to the Palliative Care Center.

Methods: We conducted a prospective cohort study in adult cancer patients the Palliative Care Center between January 1, 2016 and December 30, 2017. We measured pain intensity and other associated symptoms via the Revised Edmonton Symptom Assessment System (ESAS-r) and documented detailed analgesics and adjuvant medication history before starting any palliative care and on days 0, 3, 6, and 14.

Results: The analysis included 240 patients whose cancer-related pain, anxiety, and depression scores meaningfully improved by day 6. The changes in the median (interquartile ranges) of Cancer-related pain, anxiety, and depression scores from day 0 to day 6 were: 6 (4-8) to 3 (1-4); 6 (4-9) to 2 (1-4); and 3 (2-6) to 2 (1-4), respectively, with p < 0.001 for all. Morphine was the most common opioid administered; the percentage using it increased from 20.4% (n = 49) before referral to 49.6% (n = 119) on day 6 (p < 0.001). The median morphine equivalent daily dose decreased from a median (interquartile ranges) of 60(31-93) mg/day before referral to 34(22-66) mg/day on day 6 (p < 0.001). There was also a statistically significant increase in the percentage of patients taking adjuvant medications, from 38.8% before referral to 84.2% on day 6 (p < 0.001). Comparing D0 to D6, the number of patients using Gabapentinoids significantly increased from 57(23.75%) to 79(32.9%) (p < 0.001), amitriptyline dramatically increased from 14 (5.8%) to 44 (18.3%) (p < 0.001), and other antidepressant drugs increased from 15 (6.2%) to 34 (14.1%) (p < 0.001).

Conclusion: After referral to the Palliative Care Center, patients' pain and other symptoms scores decreased significantly, even with lower median morphine equivalent daily doses, arguably through more appropriately directed opioid use. This is evidence for the effectiveness of the comprehensive program at the Palliative Care Center in Kuwait.

Keywords: Adjuvant medications; Anxiety; Cancer-related pain; Depression; Kuwait; Morphine equivalent daily dose; Opioids; Palliative care center.

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Conflict of interest statement

The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest concerning the research, authorship and/or publication of this article.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Flow chart of patient eligibility
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Comparisons of ESAS-r Scores before (Day 0) and After Referral (Day 6) to Palliative Care Centre
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Comparison of different types of opioids used before (Day 0) and after referral (Day 6) to Palliative Care Centre
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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