WHO analgesic ladder gone astray: wider implications

Many guidelines rely on the WHO ladder approach for the blanket treatment of cancer pain. 4 Advances in treatment and increasing cancer survival have led to a rise in chronic complications that can cause serious pain. 5 In our experience, the widespread use of the WHO ladder for cancer pain has led...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inBMJ (Online) Vol. 352; p. i589
Main Authors Basler, Michael H, Keeley, Paul W
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published England BMJ Publishing Group LTD 04.02.2016
Subjects
Analgesics
Analgesics, Opioid - therapeutic use
Cancer
Chronic illnesses
Humans
Neoplasms - physiopathology
Pain - drug therapy
Pain management
Palliative care
Practice Guidelines as Topic
World Health Organization
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Summary:Many guidelines rely on the WHO ladder approach for the blanket treatment of cancer pain. 4 Advances in treatment and increasing cancer survival have led to a rise in chronic complications that can cause serious pain. 5 In our experience, the widespread use of the WHO ladder for cancer pain has led to serious opioid based problems in a small group of patients. [...]palliative care doctors have extended their role in the management of multiple chronic conditions that can be associated with pain. 6 Opioids are the cornerstone of their therapeutic armamentarium.
Bibliography:SourceType-Other Sources-1
content type line 63
ObjectType-Correspondence-1
ISSN:1756-1833
1756-1833
DOI:10.1136/bmj.i589