A 70-year-old man with end-stage COPD is on maximal inhaled therapy and long-term oxygen. He experiences distressing dyspnoea at rest despite optimise...

Question

A 70-year-old man with end-stage COPD is on maximal inhaled therapy and long-term oxygen. He experiences distressing dyspnoea at rest despite optimised treatment. He is under palliative care. What is the most appropriate pharmacological option to help relieve his breathlessness?

Accepted Answer

Low-dose oral Morphine

Answer

High-dose benzodiazepines alone

Answer

Increasing inhaled beta2 agonist dose indefinitely

Answer

High-dose intravenous Morphine as first-line

Answer

No pharmacological options are appropriate

uk-plab-1 MCQ (SBA): Palliative breathlessness management

A 70-year-old man with end-stage COPD is on maximal inhaled therapy and long-term oxygen. He experiences distressing dyspnoea at rest despite optimised treatment. He is under palliative care. What is the most appropriate pharmacological option to help relieve his breathlessness?