Journal of pain and symptom management
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Oct 2013
A nationwide analysis of antibiotic use in hospice care in the final week of life.
Antibiotic prescription in hospice patients is complicated by the focus on palliative rather than curative care and concerns regarding increasing antibiotic resistance. ⋯ In this nationally representative sample, 27% of hospice patients received an antibiotic during the last seven days of life, most without a documented infectious diagnosis. Further research is needed to elucidate the role of antibiotics in this patient population to maintain palliative care goals while reducing unnecessary antibiotic use.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Oct 2013
Clinical TrialA prospective study of family conferences: effects of patient presence on emotional expression and end-of-life discussions.
Limited research has taken place examining family conferences (FCs) with patients with advanced cancer and their caregivers in the palliative care setting. ⋯ There was a high frequency of expression of emotional distress by patients and family members in FCs. Patient participation was significantly associated with decreased verbal emotional expression by family members but not the primary caregiver and was associated with fewer discussions regarding prognosis and what dying patients may experience.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Oct 2013
Factors associated with depression in disease-free stomach cancer survivors.
Depression in cancer survivors affects the rest of their lives in many ways. ⋯ The prevalence of depression was high in stomach cancer survivors even after the completion of treatment, especially among those with problems amenable to treatment, and we identified the associated factors. We suggest that stomach cancer survivors should be screened for depression after the end of treatment.