Provided by the Meniscus Educational Institute  

Highlights No.2

Agenda and Faculty | Intended Audience | Rationale and Purpose | Learning Objectives

Continuing Education | Registration Information | Educational Grant

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
6:00
AM to 8:00AM  

Supported by an educational grant from Wyeth Pharmaceuticals. 


Agenda and Faculty

5:30–6:00AM Registration

6:00–6:10
AM Breakfast

6:00–6:10
AM Welcome and Introduction
Judith A. Paice, PhD, RN, FAAN
Director, Cancer Pain Program
Division of Hematology-Oncology
Northwestern University
Feinberg School of Medicine
Chicago, Illinois

6:10–6:45
AM Management Strategies for Select Side Effects
Judith A. Paice, PhD, RN, FAAN

6:45–7:15
AM Opioid-Induced Constipation
Charles F. von Gunten, MD, PhD, FACP
Medical Director
Center for Palliative Studies
San Diego Hospice
San Diego, California

7:15–7:45
AM Case Study Discussions

7:45–7:55
AM Question-and-Answer Session

7:55–8:00
AM Wrap-up and Evaluation

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Intended Audience

These activities are intended for practicing oncology, palliative care, hospice, and pain management nurses caring for oncology patients with advanced disease.
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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.


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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

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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.

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Registration Information

There is no fee for attending this symposium

GENERAL INFORMATION
Phone: 610-834-1810

REGISTRATION DEADLINE
Tuesday, May 13, 2008

REGISTRATION OPTIONS

Fax: Fill out and fax this registration card  to 610-834-8856
Phone: 888-622-9927
Internet: Register here

If registration is completed online by the deadline, you will receive an automatic confirmation.

Space is limited; seating will be on a first-come, first-served basis. You are not guaranteed a seat upon registration—arrive early for optimal seating.


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Educational Grant


Nurses who attend this activity and complete an evaluation form will be eligible for a $500 educational grant to attend an educational meeting of their choice. A random drawing will be conducted immediately following the symposium.

MEI recognizes the importance of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). If you have special needs, please contact us at least 3 weeks prior to this activity, and we will make a reasonable effort to accommodate your needs.



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