Provided by the Meniscus Educational Institute |
|
A Breakfast
Symposium to be held at the
33rd Annual Congress of the Oncology Nursing Society
Pennsylvania Convention Center
Grand Ballrooms, Salons A, B, and F
1201 Market Street
Philadelphia, PA 19107
Friday, May 16, 2008
6:00AM to 8:00AM
Supported by an educational grant from Wyeth Pharmaceuticals.
|
|
Intended Audience
These activities are intended for practicing oncology, palliative care, hospice, and pain management nurses caring for oncology patients with advanced disease.
|
|
Rationale and Purpose
Cancer-related pain afflicts
approximately 9 million people worldwide annually, and
55% to 95% of patients with advanced disease have severe
pain. Opioids are the mainstay of treatment for
cancer-related pain and provide relief to improve
patients’ quality of life, but opioids’ adverse effects
have potential limitations and can negatively impact
quality of life. Most of the side effects are easily
managed with relatively simple remedies, and they
improve or resolve shortly after therapy begins.
Unlike adverse effects that improve and often resolve
with continued therapy, constipation resolves very
slowly, if at all, and can actually worsen as opioid
doses increase. Constipation, which affects over 50% of
cancer patients admitted to palliative care units, needs
to be addressed when opioid therapy is initiated. If
constipation is not avoided, further aspects of
obstructive bowel disease (OBD) can surface, including
lower abdominal discomfort, fecal impaction with
overflow diarrhea and incontinence, urinary retention,
nausea, vomiting, and inadequate absorption of oral
drugs.
Current guidelines and treatment approaches to prevent
constipation recommend starting the patient on a
prophylactic regimen containing both a laxative and a
stool softener, as well as dietary modifications as
tolerated. The mechanism of OBD is becoming better
understood and appears to be linked to both the central
and peripheral effects of opioids. A new class of
agents, peripherally acting µ-opioid receptor (PAM-OR)
antagonists, are being developed to specifically target
µ-opioid receptor–mediated activity in the
gastrointestinal (GI) tract. These agents effectively
inhibit the adverse side effects of opiates on the GI
tract while maintaining the opiates’ beneficial
analgesic effects. The inclusion of PAM-OR agents in the
management and treatment of patients with OBD may have a
significant effect on their quality of life and
activities of daily living.
The purpose of this activity is to enhance the quality
of care provided by oncology, palliative care, pain
management, and hospice nurses by supplying them with
information and tools to manage opioid-induced side
effects in patients with chronic pain and advanced
disease.
|
Learning Objectives
After participating in this activity, nurses should be
able to
- Explain the
prevalence, etiology, and pathophysiology of select
opioid-induced side effects
- Recognize the
clinical presentation of opioid-induced side effects
and current strategies to prevent and manage them
- Incorporate
currently available management options into the care
of the patient with constipation
- Assess the impact of
constipation on a patient’s quality of life and
activities of daily living
- Explain the role of
µ-opioid receptors in pain perception and GI
function
- Describe new
therapies that directly target the underlying
symptoms of OBD and integrate them into a multimodal
therapeutic regimen designed to alleviate symptoms
of OBD and, ultimately, to improve patient outcomes
with better pain relief management
|
Continuing Education
Statement of Credit—Participants who successfully complete this activity (including completion and submission of the evaluation form) will be issued a statement of credit via e-mail or US mail within 4 weeks.
 Nurses.
This activity for 1.8 contact hours is provided by the Meniscus Educational Institute.
The Meniscus Educational Institute is accredited as a provider of continuing nursing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation. |
 |
Accreditation refers to recognition of educational activities only and does not imply approval or endorsement by the Meniscus Educational Institute or the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation of any product mentioned.
Provider approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing, Provider No. 13164, for 1.8 contact hours.
Meeting space has been assigned to provide a satellite symposium funded by Wyeth Pharmaceuticals via an educational grant during the Oncology Nursing Society’s (ONS) 33rd Annual Congress, May 15–18, 2008 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Oncology Nursing Society’s assignment of meeting space does not imply product endorsement nor does the Oncology Nursing Society assume any responsibility for the educational content.
|
|
|