1st February 2025

A 90-year-old woman with advanced dementia and a background of chronic back pain is on your ward

A 90-year-old woman with advanced dementia and a background of chronic back pain is on your ward. You had been hoping to fast track her home but after recurrent pneumonia it is felt she is in her last hours to days of life.

Her oral intake has been minimal on the ward and so she has been having subcut morphine. She has had 4 doses of 2.5 mg subcut morphine in the last 24 hours and this has controlled her pain well. You wish to change this to a syringe driver. What dose of morphine would be appropriate to put in the syringe driver?

Select the SINGLE most appropriate option from the list below. Select ONE option only.