Management of pain in the terminally III by administration of epidural narcotics

Abstract
Fifteen patients with chronic malignant intractable pain were given epidural narcotics for periods of up to 280 days. The majority were treated at home. The patients self-administered the narcotics through an indwelling epidural catheter that had been tunneled and brought out onto the anterior abdominal wall. The results are presented together with the problems encountered.