Opioid Use and Family Members' Experiences of Opioids in Paediatric Cancer Pain Management: An Integrative Review

AIM: To analyse the use of opioids in children with cancer and the experiences of their family members regarding opioids used in pain management to improve family nursing. DESIGN: An integrative review. METHODS: A systematic literature search was carried out in four databases (CINAHL, MEDLINE, PsycInfo and Scopus) in August 2023, and was subsequently updated to include studies up to the end of 2024. Sixteen peer-reviewed research articles met the inclusion criteria and were included in a quality appraisal and analysis. RESULTS: Of the wide range of opioids used to treat pain in children with cancer, morphine and fentanyl stood out as the most used. The prevalent routes of opioid administration was intravenous and enteral. Limited research has been conducted on the experiences of family members of children with cancer in the context of opioids used for pain management. Furthermore, there is a scarcity of studies that describe the experiences of siblings from the same perspective. Parental experiences were particularly described as concerns about and a desire to refuse opioid use, although satisfaction with opioid use was also described. CONCLUSIONS: Opioids are particularly significant in managing pain among children with cancer. Therefore, the use of opioids in this patient group should be comprehensively studied, and healthcare professionals should receive sufficient training. The experiences of parents conclude that they require sufficient information and guidance on the management of their children's severe pain and the analgesics used to treat it. The notable lack of research regarding the experiences of siblings in connection with the use of opioids for the management of a child's pain addresses the need for further research from these perspectives. More research on experiences during the different phases of cancer treatment is needed. Further research employing qualitative methods will be essential for enhancing family nursing.