Acute Medicine | Palliative care | Drug management of breathlessness (including oxygen)

Drug management of breathlessness (including oxygen)
Session overview
Description
This session reviews the use of drugs and oxygen within an integrated approach to the management of breathlessness in the patient approaching the end of life.

This session was reviewed by Natasha Lovell and Sarah Hanrott and last updated in April 2024.

Learning objectives
By the end of this session you will be able to:

• describe the appropriate disease modifying treatments for the relevant cause of breathlessness in patients approaching end of life
• explain how to prescribe and safely administer oxygen for patients with breathlessness in end-of-life care
• list the main drug options used to alleviate the symptom of breathlessness in end of life including the use of low dose opioids and oxygen

Prerequisites
Before commencing this session you should complete:

• Assessment of breathlessness (215-0412)

Symptom management of breathlessness starts with an assessment and diagnosis, based on the understanding of the underlying mechanisms producing the sensation of breathlessness.

This may have more than one physiological cause; which may be cancer-related, non-cancer related or as a result of treatment.

Often the most effective symptom control measure is that aimed at removing or treating the underlying cause.

This session describes the main drugs used to manage breathlessness in end of life care, their modes of action and how the drugs are matched to the underlying pathology and the patient’s emotional state. The use of oxygen for managing breathlessness is also considered. Finally, the appropriateness of interventions, depending upon the stage of illness is explained.