Palliative care infusion pump therapy

At present, the definition of “palliative care” is "active holistic care offered to people of all ages who are subjected to intense health-related suffering as a consequence of serious illness, particularly those at the end of their lives".

Thus the aim of palliative care is to improve the quality of life of patients, their families and their caregivers.

The goal of palliative care is to look after terminal patients, enabling them to spend their final days with relief from pain or discomfort achieved in the least invasive way possible, minimising stress while optimising the treatment of their refractory symptoms.

The terminally ill patient is often no longer able to assume oral therapy, and intramuscular and intravenous solutions are less commonly used in the home due to the practical difficulties presented to the caregiver.

Subcutaneous infusion has made a return to palliative and home care precisely due to its effectiveness and ease of administration. The procedure is less invasive and requires only basic training on the part of the caregiver.