Drug Card Name: Coralys Perez Date 05/14/2024
Classification: Opioid Agonist Antidote (if Applicable): Patient Teaching and Safety:
Analgesic Warm outpatients not to increase
dosage without consulting prescriber.
Drug Names (generic & Trade): Warm outpatients against abrupt
Morphine (Avinza, Kadian, MS Contin) discontinuation of treatment.
Side/Adverse Effects: Inform patients that medication may
Analgesia, sedation, euphoria, respiratory cause drowsiness. Warm them about
depression, cough suppression, miosis, birth doing hazardous activities if sedation is
defects and suppression of the bowel mobility. significant.
Respiratory depression is the most serious
Let them know about symptoms of
Use: adverse effect.
hypotension and advise them to sit or
Lowers blood pressure by blunting the
Relief of moderate pain to severe pain. lie down if these occur. Inform that
baroreceptor reflex and by dilating peripheral
Can relieve postoperative pain, pain of arterioles and veins.
hypotension can be reduced moving
labor and delivery, and chronic pain slowly while standing.
Can cause urinary hesitancy and urinary
caused by cancer and other conditions. retention. Advise not to walk if experiencing
Promotes nausea and vomiting through direct hypotension.
Mechanism of Action: stimulation of the chemoreceptor trigger zone
Appear to relieve pain by mimicking the actions of of the medulla. Unlabeled Uses:
endogenous opioids peptides, primarily at mu Prolonged use of opioids can cause hormonal
receptors. Depress pain muscle impulse transmission at changes.
the spinal cord level by interacting with opioid
receptors.
Nursing Considerations: Contraindications:
When treating a patient for pain, the nurse may have to decide how much opioid Hypersensitivity to individual agents.
to give and when to give it.
Some products contain tartrazine, bisulfates, or
It is the responsibility of the nurse to request an increase in dosage if the
prescribed dosage has proved inadequate. alcohol and should be avoided in patients with
Assess pain before administration and 1 hour later. known hypersensitivity.
Before administration determine respiratory rate, blood pressure, and pulse rate. All opioids are contraindicated for premature
When listening to patients, be aware that a few may claim discomfort when their
pain is under control.
infants (both during and after birth)
Is contraindicated following biliary tract surgery.
Revised Aug 2023
