Abstract
A case severe opioid toxicity is described in a 52-year-old canter patient. The patient presented with classical clinical features of central hyperexcitability associated with opioid toxicity: delirium, myoclonus, hallucinations, hyperalgesia, and a possible seizure. This patient had a background of severe psychosocial distress and somatization in addition to a history of benzodiazepine dependence and alcohol abuse. The occurrence of opioid toxicity in this patient highlights the risks of a unidimensional approach to cancer pain, which ignores the non-organic components of pain, such as psychosocial distress, which will not respond to escalating doses of opioid medication.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 356-361 |
Number of pages | 6 |
Journal | Journal of pain and symptom management |
Volume | 13 |
Issue number | 6 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Jun 1997 |
Keywords
- Cancer pain
- Chemical dependence
- Opioid toxicity
- Psychosocial distress
- Somatization
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General Nursing
- Clinical Neurology
- Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine