Opioid treatment of dyspnea in advanced COPD, how are we doing?

BACKGROUNDCOPD patients are less likely to receive palliative care (PC) compared with cancer patients. The most common and one of the cardinal symptom of COPD is exertional dyspnea that may develop with variable intensity. Data from several randomized trials and systematic reviews demonstrate the benefits of systemically administered opioids in treating breathlessness. Clinicians may, however, be reluctant to prescribe opioids due to a fear of adverse events.AIMDescribe the prescription of opioids in patients with advanced stage of COPD in Balearic Islands population, during the last 6 months of life.METHODDescriptive study using a cohort database of COPD patients (MAJORICA). The author will review all database included patients, with diagnosis of COPD, deceased during the period of time from 2012 to 2019, classifying their opioids prescription, if any, during the last 6 months of life. Declaration of Interest References and Clinical Trial Registry Information