ReviewCurrent opinion in supportive and palliative care2020
Use of short-acting opioids in the management of breathlessness: an evidence-based review.
Review in Current opinion in supportive and palliative care, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
6 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 15 citations in OpenAlex.
- Opioid Prescription Method for Breathlessness Due to Non-Cancer Chronic Respiratory Diseases: A Systematic Review.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Pooled it
- Opioid Use for Dyspnoea in Advanced Heart Failure.Current heart failure reports · 2026Review
- Practice patterns of strong opioid recommendations by palliative care consultation services in German hospitals (online survey).BMC palliative care · 2026Article
- Opioids in Treatment of Refractory Dyspnea in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: Yes, No or Maybe.Journal of personalized medicine · 2024Review
- [Perceptions on handling of opioids: focus COVID-19 : A survey among anesthesiologists via the specialist societies DGAI/BDA].Die Anaesthesiologie · 2022Article
- The placenta as a target of opioid drugs†.Biology of reproduction · 2022Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
2 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
purpose of reviewTo provide an evidence-based review on the use of short-acting opioids for management of breathlessness in patients with advanced diseases. RECENT
findingsWe identified 28 randomized controlled trials that examined the effect of short-acting opioids on breathlessness under three study settings: as a prophylactic dose given prior to exertion; as a rescue dose for treatment of breathlessness at rest or episodic breathlessness; or as a scheduled medication for overall reduction of breathlessness. These trials varied widely in regard to patient population (opioid naive or tolerant), opioid (formulation, dose, timing of administration, and scheduling) and control intervention. Taken together, there is good evidence to support that short-acting opioids can reduce breathlessness and improve activity level when given before exertion. There is some evidence that parenteral opioids are efficacious for the as needed treatment of episodic breathlessness or breathlessness at rest. However, there is only limited evidence to support scheduled short-acting opioids for overall relief of breathlessness. SUMMARY: There is evidence to support that short-acting opioids have a pharmacologic effect on breathlessness. More research is needed to clarify how opioids can be prescribed to optimize breathlessness relief, function, and quality of life.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.