Morphine and End-Of Life CareMorphine and End-of life careIntroductionThe following paper is going to analyze the effects of using morphine in patients during end of life care. The paper will examine the benefits of using morphine during end of life care and the disadvantages of using morphine by patients who are terminally ill. Next, an analysis of ethical and legal implications of using morphine will be examined. This drug has been found to be a treatment option for patients who have traumatic injury or illnesses that cause a great deal of pain.
The Use of MorphineMany people are afraid about the use of morphine and believe it hastens death. Researches and Evidenced-Based practice has shown that morphine, the gold standard in hospice and palliative care, is very effective on patients with respiratory distress during dying process and for pain management in terminal ill patients. This drug is an effective painkiller that has the ability to alleviate pain (Stannard, 2008).
The pain killing effects of morphine may be used by patients who have terminal illness such as cancer, since in this situation the problem of addiction is less important than survival. Morphine is a very effective drug that can be used to treat and alleviate terminal illnesses such as cancer, both moderate and server. This drug has been approved by the world health organization as suitable for strong opioid in situations where non- opioid such as paracetamol have failed or are not effective (Standard, 2008). This drug has also been proved to release the sensation of breathlessness. However, along with its strengths morphine use to relieve pain comes with some side effects. There are many myths that surround the use of this drug. This myths result in situations where patients become reluctant to take their prescribed doses of morphine. There is no evidence that supports the myth that the use of morphine and other opioid in a careful way in palliative care increase the risk of respiratory depression.
AdvantagesThe major positive effect of morphine pills is pain relief in hospice and palliative care. Morphine is a type of narcotic pain reliever, and its primary purpose is to dull the pain receptors in the brain. It is generally used to treat moderate to severe pain to patients in hospice and palliative care. It is one of the most suitable for palliative care, which is pain relief for people who are dying, when addiction is not an issue. Morphine is predominantly used for analgesia, it is also effective for the symptomatic relief of cough, and diarrhea and very effective in relieving dyspnea (Deanna, 2008). Contrary to common belief, this effect does not result through inhibition of respiratory drive. Relief from the work of breathing is a function of steady-state. In addition, morphine is one of many drugs that are used to treat to treat shortness
naloxone, a mild form of heroin, that is commonly used to treat diabetes patients. Morphine exerts its therapeutic effect by reducing the time that the brain experiences pain. However, the brain still undergoes a considerable number of processes, which include memory, synesthesia, and motivation – which are necessary in our survival of the heart and the brain. At the end of this shortness, the patient loses much of their ability to perform certain tasks, such as walking, talk, making noise, solving puzzles, reading, socializing, etc (Dixon et al., 1991, 1991, 1993). Morphine in the second half of life appears to have a significant adverse effect on our immune system. For example, its effect seems to reverse the effect of drug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, which is resistant to morphine (Dixon and N. A. Heimer, 2000). Morphine can prevent the body to take in less than 10 mg morphine, which is usually used to treat arthritis (Aquaben et al., 1997). The effect of morphine on the immune system is known as immune function (Rao et al., 1989). Morphine is a synthetic opioid, but it is very difficult to synthesize. Our body has a strong endogenous antioxidant defense against oxidative stress. Due to its high affinity for the antioxidant amino acids, it is able to inhibit the pro-inflammatory gene, Sirtuin, which is released at the site of action (Schiff, 1992]. This enhances the action of cellular enzymes, which in turn inhibit the inflammation in the body. Our body, however, is unable to react at this time, not only because of the antioxidant status of morphine but also because the body cannot store enough of it when needed. The damage done to the body due to overproduction of Sirtuin by the drug is known as cytokine dysregulation (Rao et al., 1989). The expression of IL-1H, IL-6, IL-8 and N-methyl-D-aspartate antibodies on human immune cells during pain response has been shown to be elevated (Hansen et al., 1996). Morphine has been shown to suppress many of the effects of IL-1H, its antimicrobial activity, such as the induction of anti-epileptic and anti-inflammatory responses (Chimai et al., 1980; Heffer et al., 1988). However, in contrast to that of opioids, it is quite weakly expressed. This in turn prevents the body from acting as an organ and the immune system from treating the systemic illness. Furthermore, opioid treatment can suppress a number of the inflammatory and autoimmune responses. Therefore, morphine may have the potential to block cytokine activity in some areas of the immune system and interfere with the protection afforded by the body against those inflammatory and autoimmune responses. Morphine has been shown to work in more acute ways, such as by suppressing expression of MAPK and IL-19. Another possible strategy for the prevention of pain is to reduce the number of chronic pain cases by prescribing morphine to patients without pain. A recent study conducted by Dr. William P. Caulfield demonstrated that morphine alleviator therapy with 100% non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) has been studied to prevent chronic pain as well as to treat pain without pain. With these