Journal of pain and symptom management
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Oct 2018
Randomized Controlled TrialFan Therapy Is Effective in Relieving Dyspnea in Patients With Terminally Ill Cancer: A Parallel-Arm, Randomized Controlled Trial.
Dyspnea is a common distressing symptom among patients with advanced cancer. ⋯ Fan-to-face is effective in alleviating dyspnea in patients with terminally ill cancer.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Oct 2018
Single-Nucleotide Polymorphisms in TAOK3 Are Associated With High Opioid Requirement for Pain Management in Patients With Advanced Cancer Admitted to a Tertiary Palliative Care Unit.
Different amounts of opioid are required for the relief of cancer pain in different individuals, raising the possibility that genetic factors play a role. We tested the hypothesis that genetic variations in the TAOK3 (TAO kinase 3, encoding serine/threonine-protein kinase) explain some of the interindividual variations related to the morphine-equivalent daily dose (MEDD) in patients with cancer. ⋯ In this cohort of patients with advanced cancer pain, TAOK3 SNPs were associated with opioid doses. This result supports the original findings from a GWAS in postoperative patients. The proportions of variant homozygotes (8.2% of patients) and their requirement for higher doses of opioids would appear potentially clinically important and should be validated in further studies.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Oct 2018
ReviewCultural Factors Influencing Advance Care Planning in Progressive, Incurable Disease: A Systematic Review With Narrative Synthesis.
Advance care planning (ACP) can improve end-of-life outcomes, but low uptake indicates it is less acceptable to patients of some cultural backgrounds. ⋯ Many interconnected cultural factors influence the acceptability of ACP in progressive, incurable disease, although specific mechanisms remain unclear. A communication-focused approach to ACP may better meet the needs of culturally diverse populations.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Oct 2018
VALIDATION OF TWO PAIN ASSESSMENT TOOLS UTILIZING A STANDARDIZED NOCICEPTIVE STIMULATION IN CRITICALLY ILL ADULTS.
The Behavioral Pain Scale (BPS) or the Critical-Care Pain Observation Tool (CPOT) are recommended in practice guidelines for pain assessment in critically ill adults unable to self-report. However, their use in another language requires cultural adaptation and validation testing. ⋯ The use of the Brazilian CPOT and BPS versions showed good reliability and validity in critically ill adults unable to self-report. A standardized procedure, the SNSPA, was used for the first time in the validation process of these tools and helped us improve the validation process.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Oct 2018
Drugs used for euthanasia: a repeated population-based mortality follow-back study in Flanders, Belgium, 1998 - 2013.
According to guideline recommendations, barbiturates and neuromuscular relaxants are the recommended drugs for euthanasia. ⋯ Physicians in Flanders are increasingly using the recommended drugs for euthanasia. This suggests that guidelines and training regarding the conduct and pharmacological aspects of euthanasia may have had important effects on the practice of euthanasia. However, the declining but persisting use of nonrecommended drugs requires further attention.