Patients receiving hospice care frequently require medication management of both chronic conditions and symptoms associated with end-stage disease. Common symptoms at end-of-life include pain, dyspnea, anxiety, agitation, constipation, nausea and vomiting. This module provides a focused overview of the 5 most commonly used comfort care medications to achieve symptom management in the dying patient.
· Identify comfort care medications for end-of-life symptom management
· Recognize initial dose of medications for the management of symptoms.
· Discuss adverse effects, monitoring parameters, and drug interactions of common end-of-life medications.
Estimated time to complete: 30 minutes
Module complements material in the Essential Medications: A Comprehensive Review module