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Palliative Care during COVID-19 Pandemic: Practical Recommendations from Literature Evidence Cover

Palliative Care during COVID-19 Pandemic: Practical Recommendations from Literature Evidence

Open Access
|Apr 2026

Figures & Tables

Recommended treatment for patients who have not used opoids (naïve to opoids)

Oral morphine (or alternative opoids)2,5–5 mg every 4 hours
Morphin slow release10-0-10 mg** (8.00 - 0 - 20.00)

Lactulosa (or alternative laxatives)10-0-0 ml
Antiemetic supplement if necessary: Haloperidol 0.5–1 mg at night for up to 2 hours

Morphine solution2.5–5 mg** (= 2–4 drops of Morphine solution 2%)
alternatively, morphine i.v. short infusion / s.c.1–3 mg**

Recommended treatment for patients who cannot take oral medications

Patients who did not use opioids**1 – 2 mg i.v./s.c. 4 hours or
**Morphine 5–10 mg/24 h i.v./s.c. via an infusion pump

Example: 50 mg *Morphine and 50 ml NaCl 0,9%, concentration 1 mg/ml, **Initial dose 0,4 ml/h

Patients who are already taking opoids:
Conversion of previous opioid dose to continuous parenteral administration (i.v. or s.c.)

Example: 60-30-60 mg of Morphine per equivalent aprox. 50 mg i.v./24 h 50 mg *Morphine in 50 ml NaCl 0,9%, concentration 1 mg/ml, **initial dose 2 ml/h

Checklist for referral from intensive care unit to palliative care unit

IndicatorsCRITERIA
Weak candidate for intensive care
  • Status after cardiac arrest

  • Active stage of malignancy IV

Continuation of intensive care will not give general benefit
  • Advanced dementia (FAST scale stage 7) *

  • End valve heart disease / heart failure, ie. New York Heart Association (NIHA) Class III or IV, EF <20%, repeated admissions, no surgery

  • The final stage of kidney disease and the patient is not for a kidney replacement therapy

  • Assessment of clinical weakness ≥ 7


Weak response to treatment
  • Multisystem organ dysfunction syndrome ≥ 2 organ systems

The basic condition is irreversible or the desired outcome cannot be achieved
  • Considering withdrawal from a respirator after which death is expected


Extremely bad expected Quality of life
  • Extensive intra-cerebral / subarachnoid hemorrhage with poor neurological prognosis

There is the expected poor Neurological recovery or Long-term dependence on respirators
  • Massive ischemic stroke with poor neurological recovery

  • Hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy / anoxic encephalopathy


Conflicts of decisions / Special considerations
  • Physical symptoms that are difficult to control despite common approaches to treatment

  • After initiation of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO)

  • Complex family dynamics that influence decisions about using life support treatments

  • Conflicts between staff or between staff and patients / surrogates over the prognosis and / or use of livelihoods

  • Patients / surrogates want to explore non-intensive care support options, such as hospice services

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/sjecr-2022-0012 | Journal eISSN: 2956-2090 | Journal ISSN: 2956-0454
Language: English
Submitted on: Feb 12, 2022
Accepted on: Feb 22, 2022
Published on: Apr 6, 2026
In partnership with: Paradigm Publishing Services
Publication frequency: 4 issues per year

© 2026 Scepan Z. Sinanovic, Olivera Z. Milovanovic, Tanja T. Prodovic, Biljana Jakovljevic, Vladislava Stojic, Katarina Djordjevic, published by University of Kragujevac, Faculty of Medical Sciences
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

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