Alpha Alert: Utilization of Transdermal Clonidine for Refractory Agitation.
J Pain Palliat Care Pharmacother
; 38(2): 149-152, 2024 Jun.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-38484176
ABSTRACT
Alpha-2 agonists are under-recognized for their class effects yet offer potential benefit in specialty palliative care via decreasing sympathetic output, inducing sedation, and modulating pain. Especially in clinical contexts where agitation predominates and patients are intolerant of oral medication route, transdermal medication delivery is advantageous. We report a case of agitated behaviors in setting of mixed Alzheimer/vascular-type dementia limiting hospital discharge to nursing facility that were ameliorated with transdermal clonidine. We suggest palliative clinicians routinely conceptualize the seemingly disparate alpha-2 agonists as a class for effective symptom palliation especially as new clinical evidence becomes available.
Key words
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Psychomotor Agitation
/
Administration, Cutaneous
/
Clonidine
/
Adrenergic alpha-2 Receptor Agonists
Limits:
Aged
/
Aged80
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
Language:
En
Journal:
J Pain Palliat Care Pharmacother
/
Journal of pain & palliative care pharmacotherapy (Online)
Journal subject:
NEUROLOGIA
/
PSICOFISIOLOGIA
/
TERAPIA POR MEDICAMENTOS
Year:
2024
Document type:
Article
Country of publication:
Reino Unido