Journal of pain and symptom management
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The question "What is truth?" is one of the oldest questions in philosophy. Truth within the field of medicine has gained relevance because of its fundamental relationship to the principle of patient autonomy. To fully participate in their medical care, patients must be told the truth-even in the most difficult of situations. ⋯ However, this limited understanding of the truth does not account for the uniqueness of each patient. Although two patients may receive the same diagnosis (or facts), each will be affected by this truth in a very individual way. To help patients apprehend the truth, physicians are called to engage in a delicate back-and-forth of multiple difficult conversations in which each patient is accepted as a unique individual.
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Thirst is a pervasive, intense, and distressing symptom in intensive care unit (ICU) patients. Although thirst may be avoided and/or treated, scant data are available to help providers identify patients most in need. ⋯ Thirst presence was predicted by selected medications (e.g., opioids). Thirst intensity and/or thirst distress were predicted by other treatments (e.g., mechanical ventilation) and medical diagnoses (e.g., GI). This is one of the first studies describing predictors of the multidimensional characteristics of thirst. Clinicians can use these data to target ICU patients whose thirst might warrant treatment.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Mar 2015
Limits and responsibilities of physicians addressing spiritual suffering in terminally ill patients.
Many patients experience spiritual suffering that complicates their physical suffering at the end of life. It remains unclear what physicians' perceived responsibilities are for responding to patients' spiritual suffering. ⋯ Most physicians believe that spiritual suffering tends to intensify physical pain and that physicians should seek to relieve such suffering. Physicians who believe they should address spiritual suffering just as much as physical pain report more success in relieving patient's suffering.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Mar 2015
Organization of nursing and quality of care for veterans at the end of life.
The Veterans Health Administration (VA) has improved the quality of end-of-life (EOL) care over the past several years. Several structural and process variables are associated with better outcomes. Little is known, however, about the relationship between the organization of nursing care and EOL outcomes. ⋯ Improvement of the nurse work environment and nurse staffing in VA acute care facilities may result in enhanced quality of care received by hospitalized veterans at the EOL.
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Physician-assisted death (PAD) was legalized in 1997 by Oregon's Death with Dignity Act. The States of Washington, Montana, Vermont, and New Mexico have since provided legal sanction for PAD. Through 2013, 1173 Oregonians have received a prescription under the Death with Dignity Act and 752 have died after taking the prescribed medication in Oregon. ⋯ Although some factors motivating pursuit of PAD, such as depression, may be ameliorated by medical interventions, other factors, such as style of attachment and sense of spirituality, are long-standing aspects of the individual that should be supported at the end of life. Practitioners must develop respectful awareness and understanding of the interpersonal and spiritual perspectives of their patients to provide such support.