Justification:

palliative care (PC) is currently on the rise, it is necessary to synthesize the available evidence to assist the decision-making in clinical practice.

Objective:

to describe the characteristics of the use of the subcutaneous route in PC, allowing to base nursing care on evidence.

Methodology:

narrative review using Pubmed, Cuiden, Dialnet, Google Scholar and specialized web pages (2008-2018). 23 articles were analyzed.

Results:

the indication of subcutaneous route in PC is given when the oral is insufficient or unfeasible, showing the devices both advantages and disadvantages. The choice of the puncture site and the type of device will be based on the integral assessment of the person, as well as on the type of medication, frequency and volume administered.

Conclusion:

the subcutaneous route is commonly used in PC, being important to know the characteristics of the person and the environment to improve his/her comfort and quality of life.