morphine to diamorphine equivalence in chronic usage
Last reviewed 01/2018
Diamorphine
1mg SC diamorphine = 3mg oral morphine = 1.5mg SC morphine
Diamorphine was traditionally used as the first line injectable strong opioid as it is more water soluble than morphine. Morphine sulphate injection is now used in many centres as the first line injectable strong opioid.
Diamorphine preparations: Injection: 5mg, 10mg, 30mg, 100mg, 500mg in packs of 5 ampoules.
Reference:
- 1) West Midlands Palliative Care Physicians (2012). Palliative care - guidelines for the use of drugs in symptoms control.
approximate relative potencies of opioids (opiates) in chronic usage in comparison to morphine