Abstract

ARAUJO, Manuel; GALRICA, Isabel; ABRIL, Rita  and  RODRIGUES, Rui. Palliative Care in Advanced Organ Failure. Medicina Interna [online]. 2017, vol.24, n.3, pp.228-234. ISSN 0872-671X.  https://doi.org/10.24950/rspmi/51/2017.

The goal of palliative care is to relieve suffering. In pathologies with less predictable evolution, like chronic organ failures, this intervention is not always performed. Knowing how to identify the patients in need of this special care is essential. In this review we highlight the main symptoms related to each organ failure as well as treatment and acting options. Due to the overlap of certain symptoms in terminally ill patients, like pain, dyspnea and diarrhea, we also focus on the advantage provided by the opioid class that effectively covers all these symptoms as well as certain considerations that need to be taken into account in their use in specific organ failures. The particularities of the use of opioids in patients with organ shortages are also addressed.

Keywords : Analgesics; Opioid/therapeutic use; Heart Failure; Liver Failure; Palliative Care; Renal Insufficiency; Respiratory Insufficiency.

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