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Case Reports
. 2021 Nov 23;14(11):e240945.
doi: 10.1136/bcr-2020-240945.

Dying with dignity: the challenges of end-of-life care in patients with substance use disorders

Prasun Datta  1 , Jeffrey S Kruk  2 , Kylie Jordan  1 , Karen A Fisher  1
Affiliations
Case Reports

Dying with dignity: the challenges of end-of-life care in patients with substance use disorders

Prasun Datta et al. BMJ Case Rep. .

Abstract

Substance use disorder is a chronic disease carrying a high risk of morbidity and mortality. We report a case of a patient on long-term opioid agonist treatment who was diagnosed with metastatic cholangiocarcinoma and was referred to palliative care services almost contemporaneously with this diagnosis. In this report, we explore the challenges posed in offering holistic care during the end of life of a patient with a history of opioid dependence. A coordinated approach by addiction medicine and palliative care teams can allow patients from this complex cohort to ultimately die with dignity.

Keywords: drug misuse (including addiction); end of life decisions (palliative care); medical management; oncology; pain (palliative care).

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing interests: None declared.

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