Journal of pain and symptom management
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J Pain Symptom Manage · May 2023
Patient Controlled Analgesia for Vaso-Occlusive Episodes in Children: A Retrospective Study.
To describe Patient-Controlled Analgesia (PCA) administration in pediatric patients admitted with sickle cell vaso-occlusive episode (VOE). ⋯ At our institution, patients with VOE received opioids and PCA within the first hours of admission. PCAs were started at a ratio of 1.5-1.8, considered normal continuous. While no specific PCA-ratio was clearly superior for pain control, lower ratios (high continuous infusion) were associated with not requiring PCA adjustments at 6 hours. Prospective studies are needed.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · May 2023
Parent and provider perspectives of a hospital-based bereavement support program in paediatric palliative care.
Bereavement is an individuated, nuanced experience, and its expression is different for each parent who has cared for a dying child. Evidence highlights support is valuable to navigate this loss. ⋯ Bereavement care to navigate the devastating loss of a child is of paramount importance and can offer significant and beneficial resources for families. Findings have supported service development in a major tertiary paediatric hospital facilitating improved access for families, particularly for those in regional and rural locations.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · May 2023
Patient-Caregiver Dyads' Prognostic Information Preferences and Perceptions in Advanced Cancer.
Prognostic information is considered important for advanced cancer patients and primary informal caregivers to prepare for the end of life. Little is known about discordance in patients' and caregivers' prognostic information preferences and prognostic perceptions, while such discordance complicates adaptive dyadic coping, clinical interactions and care plans. ⋯ Physicians should be sensitive to discordant prognostic information preferences and prognostic perceptions among patient-caregiver dyads in advanced cancer care.