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Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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Insight Into Increased Heart Rate And Pain After Taking Morphine?

Hi - I am a hospice nurse. I have a patient who is full of cancer (lungs, breast, abdomen with liver involvement). Her history includes cardiac problems w/MI, CHF, HTN, CAD, CVA, and A-fib and she is morbidly obese. Her pain med of vicoden QID was not effective and due to her cancer, morphine was recommended. At first it was PRN, but with continued cries of pain was schedule Q4H and Q1H PRN. Although her appetite was dwindling, she stopped intake on Friday. She also was acting weird, not herself. Her vital signs at that time included a B/P of 160/80 and a heart rate of 130-134. I called the facility where she is staying today to get an update and found that she continues with no PO intake and her heart rate is now sustained in the 170s. I suspected heart involvement on Friday vs morphine adverse reaction. Today I am at the same conclusion. Could you provide any insight into this scenario? I am not familiar with an adverse reaction to morphine like this and when I researched, found nothing specific to this scenario. Obviously have cardiac involvement and am wondering a course of action or direction for the facility to take today. Should the morphine be d/c d? Note: Pt is a DNR. Thank you for your time.
Mon, 11 Feb 2019
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General & Family Physician 's  Response
Hi,

Sorry to hear about his condition. It's alway not easy to make decisions when it comes to end of life decisions. However in a patient who has advanced cancers and heart disease, and who is DNR, I don't think we need to stop the morphine. We just need to give her comfort at all cost and care for her dignity. High hear rate is not a concern here as it may be the last efforts of a tiring heart. So continue with giving her comfort.

Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further.

Regards,
Dr. Mahboob Ur Rahman, General & Family Physician
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Insight Into Increased Heart Rate And Pain After Taking Morphine?

Hi, Sorry to hear about his condition. It s alway not easy to make decisions when it comes to end of life decisions. However in a patient who has advanced cancers and heart disease, and who is DNR, I don t think we need to stop the morphine. We just need to give her comfort at all cost and care for her dignity. High hear rate is not a concern here as it may be the last efforts of a tiring heart. So continue with giving her comfort. Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further. Regards, Dr. Mahboob Ur Rahman, General & Family Physician