Selected items from the News and Latest Additions sections of www.palliativedrugs.com, the world’s leading palliative care website.

Hot topics

Haloperidol for psychosis-induced aggression or agitation

A Cochrane review has been published on the use of haloperidol for rapid tranquilisation of psychosis-induced aggression or agitation. For more information click here.

BNF palliative care section updated

The online BNF (December 2012) palliative care section has been reorganised and now includes new tables for opioid conversions. The new pain management with opioids section has been organised to provide guidance on specific routes for pain management. The equivalent doses of opioid analgesics table has been expanded to include more drugs and routes; also included is a new buprenorphine table and updated fentanyl patch conversion table. For more information click here.

Guide on advance decisions to refuse treatment

The National Council for Palliative Care and the NHS National End of Life Care Programme have produced a guide for health professionals on Advance Decisions to Refuse Treatment (ADRT). This guide supersedes the 2008 version and can be downloaded from the NHS National End of Life Care website.

Prepared by Sarah Charlesworth and Andrew Wilcock