Journal of pain and symptom management
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Oct 2011
Analgesic prescribing practices can be improved by low-cost point-of-care decision support.
Codeine has become a controversial choice for analgesia in children compared with other commonly available drugs. ⋯ A simple low-cost educational campaign consisting primarily of a pocket guide to analgesics markedly improved analgesic prescribing patterns, and that improvement extended to services not targeted by the didactic component of our educational campaign. Point-of-care decision support by means of a pocket card may be sufficient for effecting change in medication prescribing patterns of trainees.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Oct 2011
ReviewA psychometric evaluation of measures of spirituality validated in culturally diverse palliative care populations.
Despite the need to accurately measure spiritual outcomes in diverse palliative care populations, little attention has been paid to the properties of the tools currently in use. ⋯ Results suggest that, at present, the McGill Quality of Life Questionnaire, the Measuring the Quality of Life of Seriously Ill Patients Questionnaire, and the Palliative Outcome Scale are the most appropriate multidimensional measures containing spiritual items for use in multicultural palliative care populations. However, none of these measures score perfectly on all psychometric criteria, and their multifaith appropriateness requires further testing.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Oct 2011
ReviewThe efficacy of acupressure for symptom management: a systematic review.
Acupressure is a noninvasive strategy used to manage various symptoms. ⋯ Acupressure may be a useful strategy for the management of multiple symptoms in a variety of patient populations, but rigorous trials are needed. Inclusion of acupressure as an intervention may improve patient outcomes.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Oct 2011
Hospice referrals and code status: outcomes of inpatient palliative care consultations among Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders with cancer.
Intensive palliative care consultations for plan of care may reduce racial differences in end-of-life care. ⋯ Consultation intensity was the strongest predictor of hospice referrals and code status changes and reduced the ethnic variations associated with hospice referral.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Oct 2011
A prospective study of the incidence of falls in patients with advanced cancer.
The association between aging and falls risk, and the morbidity and mortality resulting from falls in older persons, is well documented. Results from a small number of studies of patients with cancer in inpatient settings suggest that patients with advanced cancer may be at high risk of falling. We present preliminary results pertaining to the incidence of falls in patients with advanced cancer from an ongoing study of risk factors for falls. ⋯ One in two patients with advanced cancer fell during follow-up of up to six months, regardless of age. There is a need to investigate the sequelae of falls in patients with cancer, to ascertain the risk factors, and in particular, the modifiable risk factors in this population.