Pain management: What’s different in end-stage care?

Synopsis As death approaches, priorities in care change. Pain, always a moving target, also alters as the person becomes sicker, and new pains can emerge. Pain changes, the patient changes, and the priorities of care also change, with changes in the balance of risks and benefits. This presentation examines those changing needs and the way in which they might be reflected in the management of pain in the last days of life.