Journal of pain and symptom management
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J Pain Symptom Manage · May 2012
Case ReportsUnique manifestations of catecholamine release in malignant pheochromocytoma: an experience within an inpatient palliative care unit.
Malignant pheochromocytoma is a rare disorder. We describe the case of a 41-year-old female with disseminated metastatic pheochromocytoma who was admitted for ongoing palliative and supportive care within an inpatient palliative care unit. ⋯ The potential for metoclopramide to worsen symptoms also was a significant component of management. The case presents rare features of this unusual disease and is unique for its setting within the confines of a palliative care unit.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · May 2012
Refining a checklist for reporting patient populations and service characteristics in hospice and palliative care research.
In specialist hospice and palliative care services, variations occur in diagnoses and prognoses of subpopulations referred, service configuration, and the health systems delivering care. These three levels of variation limit the ability to generalize study findings. ⋯ Checklists such as the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials evaluate study design, focusing mainly on internal validity. The proposed checklist deals with specific content of hospice and palliative care, focusing on external validity.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · May 2012
Parent perceptions of child vulnerability are associated with functioning and health care use in children with chronic pain.
The extent to which parent variables are associated with the level of disability experienced by children with persistent pain has been an area of increasing research. ⋯ Parent perceptions of child vulnerability appear important for understanding levels of child functional limitations and health care utilization among children with chronic pain.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · May 2012
Randomized Controlled TrialThe meaning of parenteral hydration to family caregivers and patients with advanced cancer receiving hospice care.
In the U.S., patients with advanced cancer who are dehydrated or have decreased oral intake almost always receive parenteral hydration in acute care facilities but rarely in the hospice setting. ⋯ These findings differ from traditional hospice beliefs that dehydration enhances patient comfort, given that patients and their families in the study viewed fluids as enhancing comfort, dignity, and quality of life. Discussion with patients and families about their preferences for hydration may help tailor care plans to meet specific patient needs.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · May 2012
An assessment of the screening performance of a single-item measure of depression from the Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale among chronically ill hospitalized patients.
Few studies have examined the validity of using a single item from the Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale (ESAS) for screening for depression. ⋯ These single-item measures were not effective in screening for probable depression in chronically ill patients regardless of the time frame or the response format used, but a cutoff of ≥ 5 or "mild" or greater did achieve sufficient specificity to raise clinical suspicion.