Diamorphine or Alfentanil for Subcutaneous Use in Hospice In-patients?

• Status: Completed
• Trial end date: 2014-11-01
• Target enrollment: 0
• Participant gender: All

Summary

OBJECTIVES:

How does Alfentanil compare with the standard drug Diamorphine for subcutaneous analgesia in the palliative care setting?

STUDY DESIGN:

An open-label pilot comparison between alfentanil and diamorphine for palliative care patients who require subcutaneous opioids.

• Phase: N/A
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers?: No

Details

• Lead Sponsor: Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
• Treatments: Alfentanil; Heroin

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

1. To be thought by a hospice doctor to require parenteral strong opioids.

2. To have an estimated prognosis of less than 1 year.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Inability to read English sufficiently to be able to complete assessment questionnaires.

2. Confusion sufficient so that patient is unable to complete questionnaires.

3. Weakness or fatigue sufficient so that patient is unable to complete questionnaires.

4. Radiotherapy to source of pain in last 4 weeks.

5. Change in corticosteroid dose in last week.