Palliative Care and Pain Management Flashcards
7 cards from real Mesothelioma Support practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Palliative Care and Pain Management flashcards as text
What is 'opioid rotation' and why might it be used in mesothelioma pain management?
Answer: Switching opioids to a different drug to improve pain control or reduce side effects
Opioid rotation involves switching from one opioid to another to achieve better pain control, reduce tolerance, or minimize side effects like excessive sedation or nausea.
Which complementary therapy has evidence supporting its use for anxiety and pain reduction in cancer palliative care?
Answer: Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR)
Mindfulness-based stress reduction has clinical evidence supporting its ability to lower anxiety, reduce pain perception, and improve psychological well-being in cancer patients.
What is the significance of advance care planning for mesothelioma patients receiving palliative care?
Answer: It allows patients to document their treatment wishes before they lose decision-making capacity
Advance care planning ensures that a patient's values, goals, and treatment preferences—such as resuscitation or ventilator use—are documented and honored if they can no longer speak for themselves.
What type of indwelling catheter may be placed to allow a mesothelioma patient or caregiver to drain pleural fluid at home?
Answer: Tunneled pleural catheter (e.g., PleurX)
A tunneled pleural catheter like the PleurX allows recurring pleural fluid to be drained at home, reducing hospital visits and improving the patient's independence and comfort.
Which medication class is commonly added as an adjuvant analgesic to treat neuropathic pain components in mesothelioma?
Answer: Gabapentinoids such as gabapentin or pregabalin
Gabapentinoids reduce nerve-mediated (neuropathic) pain by stabilizing hyperexcitable neurons, making them effective adjuvants when standard opioids provide insufficient neuropathic pain relief.
What is the main objective of a hospice program for a mesothelioma patient with a prognosis of six months or less?
Answer: To provide comfort-focused care and support for the patient and family in their preferred setting
Hospice provides compassionate, comfort-focused care aimed at maximizing quality of life and supporting both the patient and family emotionally, spiritually, and physically in the setting of their choice.
Why is it important for mesothelioma patients to report new or worsening pain promptly to their palliative care team?
Answer: Prompt reporting allows timely medication adjustments that prevent unnecessary suffering
Early reporting of pain changes allows the palliative care team to adjust analgesic doses or add new treatments quickly, preventing pain from escalating to an uncontrolled level.