A patient is being switched from hydromorphone to methadone in an attempt to achieve better pain control.How much should the dose of methadone be reduced when calculating the equianalgesic dose of the two drugs?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

When switching a patient from hydromorphone to methadone, the dose of methadone should be significantly reduced due to its high potency and the risk of accumulation. A reduction of 90% is often recommended to account for methadone's long half-life and strong opioid effect.

A Patient Is Being Switched from Hydromorphone to Methadone in an Attempt