Breakthrough Pain Definition

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Tue, 01/27/2026 - 15:56
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Perry Shafner
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Breakthrough Pain Definition

Morphine and hydromorphone are sometimes ordered as needed for "breakthrough pain". We realized that we don't have a set definition for "breakthrough pain", and its interpretation can vary, which is not in compliance with TJC MM 04.01.01, "Medication orders are clear and accurate".

The attached article presents a variety of "breakthrough pain" definitions and concludes, "the present systematic review is a small first step towards achieving eventual consensus in a definition of breakthrough pain by demonstrating the magnitude of the problem and providing a comprehensive and exhaustive summary of different definitions."

Would you mind sharing how your institution defines "breakthrough pain"?

Thanks!

Attach files :
PDF icon Review of Breakthrough Pain Definitions
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