Does Morphine Influence Blood Count in Palliative Patients? : A Longitudinal Study from an Oncology Center in Nepal

Introduction: Morphine has been the cornerstone of pain management in palliative care patients. The easy accessibility and availability of opioids at most tertiary care centers of Nepal have made possible, the once thought impossible fundamental right of palliative patients. The availability of morphine has not only eased the pain of palliative patients but health care providers equally. The mainstay of pain management has had its success but several subjective complaints of dry mouth, sedation, feeling of incomplete wellbeing and decreased immune function is often heard of. The present study aims at evaluating the effects of morphine on complete blood count profile in palliative care patients.