Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39893351›Full record

Observational studySupportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer2025

Palliative patients who may benefit from intranasal delivery of symptomatic drugs: a two-center observational study evaluated the administration of morphine and dexamethasone in Polish hospices.

Anna Ingielewicz, Zuzanna Brunka, Mateusz Szczupak, Robert K Szymczak

Abstract readObservational StudyMulticenter Study
In one paragraph

Observational study in Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from 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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Anna IngielewiczDepartment of Emergency Medicine, Faculty of Health Science, Medical University of Gdansk, Gdansk, Poland. anna.ingielewicz@gumed.edu.pl.
Zuzanna BrunkaDepartment of Emergency Medicine, Faculty of Health Science, Medical University of Gdansk, Gdansk, Poland.
Mateusz SzczupakDepartment of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care, Copernicus Hospital, Gdansk, Poland.
Robert K SzymczakDepartment of Emergency Medicine, Faculty of Health Science, Medical University of Gdansk, Gdansk, Poland.

Funding

Gdański Uniwersytet Medyczny open access funding
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionPatients receiving hospice care at the end of life often suffer from a variety of ailments. They may need medication to alleviate symptoms for the rest of their lives. The most common and recommended way to take opioids and steroids is orally. Less frequently, the subcutaneous or intravenous routes are used. The intranasal route is a relatively uncommon but interesting alternative for administering drugs.

aimThe study aims to identify hospice patients who may benefit from changing the standard opioid and steroid administration route to intranasal delivery. MATERIAL AND

methodsThe electronic medical records of all home and inpatient hospice patients (both rural and urban) were analyzed between February and April 2024. The study focused on the magnitude and type of problems associated with taking medications via standard routes and assessed the potential for changing to an intranasal route of administration.

resultsPatients who were prescribed morphine, dexamethasone, or both during co-administration were included in the analysis. Of the 282 patients receiving hospice care over the study period, 95 met the inclusion criteria (33.7%). According to the researcher's original survey 87% of patients experienced issues with taking medications through the standard route. Among the problems related to oral medicines, consciousness disorders were the most significant at 66%. For subcutaneous administration, the main issues were reluctance to inject at 19% and lack of cooperation from caregivers at 20%.

conclusionThe profile of a hospice patient who may benefit from intranasal administration of symptomatic drugs includes patients with impaired consciousness, aversion to subcutaneous injections, and reluctance to administer injections by caregivers.

Indexed as

Analgesics, OpioidDexamethasoneHospice CareMorphinePalliative CareAdministration, IntranasalAdultAgedAged, 80 and overFemaleHospicesHumansMaleMiddle AgedPolandAnalgesics, OpioidDexamethasoneMorphineDexamethasoneHospiceIntranasal routeMorphinePalliative

Identifiers

PMID39893351
PMCPMC11787208

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

None linked

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.