When administering narcotics to dying persons for severe pain, professional caregivers must

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Administering narcotics to dying persons for severe pain requires a thorough assessment of the location, duration, and quality of pain in order to properly determine the appropriate dose and frequency of the narcotic. Simply giving the narcotic on demand without assessing the pain can result in overmedication or undermedication, both of which can cause harm. It is also important to monitor and limit the use of narcotics to prevent addiction or other harmful side effects, but this should not be the primary focus when administering them for severe pain in end-of-life care. Educating the dying person about the potential side effects of narcotics is important, but not as important as properly assessing and administering the medication for effective pain relief.

When Administering Narcotics to Dying Persons for Severe Pain, Professional