Palliative Care and Symptom Management Flashcards

Which scale is most widely validated for assessing pain intensity in cognitively intact cancer patients?

Answer: Numeric Rating Scale (NRS 0–10)

The 0–10 Numeric Rating Scale is the most widely validated and recommended self-report pain intensity tool for cognitively intact adults.

Palliative sedation is ethically appropriate when:

Answer: Refractory symptoms cannot be controlled by other means near end of life

Palliative sedation is ethically justified only for refractory, intractable symptoms at the end of life when all other interventions have failed.

The Edmonton Symptom Assessment System (ESAS) measures which of the following?

Answer: Nine common symptoms including pain, fatigue, and anxiety on a 0–10 scale

The ESAS assesses nine symptoms (pain, fatigue, nausea, depression, anxiety, drowsiness, appetite, wellbeing, dyspnea) each on a 0–10 scale.

Which medication is first-line for neuropathic pain in cancer patients?

Answer: Gabapentin or pregabalin

Gabapentinoids (gabapentin or pregabalin) are first-line adjuvant analgesics for neuropathic pain in cancer patients.

Opioid rotation is indicated when a patient experiences:

Answer: Inadequate analgesia or intolerable side effects despite dose optimization

Opioid rotation is indicated for inadequate pain control or unmanageable adverse effects, exploiting incomplete cross-tolerance to achieve a better balance.

Which statement correctly describes the principle of double effect in palliative care?

Answer: An action with both a beneficial and harmful effect is permissible if the intent is the beneficial effect

The principle of double effect allows administration of analgesics or sedatives where the intent is symptom relief even if a foreseeable, unintended consequence is hastening death.