Journal of pain and symptom management
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Feb 2018
Observational StudyEffects of Androgen Deprivation Therapy on Pain Perception, Quality-of-Life and Depression in Men with Prostate Cancer.
Previous animal and human research suggests that testosterone has antinociceptive properties. Castration in male rodents increases pain perception which is reversed by testosterone replacement. Pain perception also improves in hypogonadal men with testosterone therapy. However, it remains unclear whether androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) in men with prostate cancer (PCa) is associated with an increase in pain perception. ⋯ ADT in men with PCa is associated with worsening of depression scores and QOL but is not associated with changes in clinical pain or pain sensitivity.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Feb 2018
Unmet palliative care needs among patients with end-stage kidney disease: a national registry study about the last week of life.
End-stage kidney disease (ESKD) is characterized by high physical and psychological burden, and therefore, more knowledge about the palliative care provided close to death is needed. ⋯ Even if death is expected, most patients dying with ESKD had unmet palliative care needs regarding symptom management, advance care planning, and bereavement support.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Feb 2018
Congruence Between Latent Class and K-modes Analyses in the Identification of Oncology Patients with Distinct Symptom Experiences.
Risk profiling of oncology patients based on their symptom experience assists clinicians to provide more personalized symptom management interventions. Recent findings suggest that oncology patients with distinct symptom profiles can be identified using a variety of analytic methods. ⋯ Both analytic methods can be used to identify subgroups of oncology patients with distinct symptom profiles. Additional research is needed to determine which analytic methods and which dimension of the symptom experience provide the most sensitive and specific risk profiles.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Feb 2018
Multiple Symptoms in Family Caregivers of Intensive Care Unit Patients.
Intensive care unit (ICU) patients experience physical and psychological challenges related to ICU admission in the acute and recovery phases after a critical illness. Involvement of family caregivers (FCs) is essential in the patients' struggle to survive critical illness. FCs report a high symptom burden related to ICU admission. Previous research has investigated mainly single symptoms. Little is known about multiple symptom burden related to FC experiences in an ICU. ⋯ FCs of ICU patients experience multiple symptoms, among which, psychological symptoms are most occurring. Age, relationship to the patient, and comorbidities were significantly associated with the number of symptoms reported by FCs. Comprehensive symptom assessment may identify FCs who are at risk of developing a high symptom burden when the patient is admitted to the ICU.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Feb 2018
Acute Leukemia Patients' Needs: Qualitative Findings and Opportunities for Early Palliative Care.
Patients with acute leukemias likely have needs that palliative care can respond to, yet little is known about specific challenges they face, particularly during active treatment. We examined acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients' expressed challenges and supports after intensive induction chemotherapy. ⋯ AML patients face substantial challenges regarding physical symptoms, psychological distress, and uncertainty regarding prognosis. These challenges signal needs for which palliative care in high-risk AML patients may help. Our findings highlight opportunities to develop targeted palliative care interventions addressing unmet needs in AML patients.