Journal of pain and symptom management
-
J Pain Symptom Manage · Nov 2012
Review Meta AnalysisThe role of ondansetron in the management of cholestatic or uremic pruritus--a systematic review.
Pruritus associated with hepatic or renal failure can be a troublesome symptom, refractory to treatment and associated with significant physical and emotional distress and a reduction in quality of life for patients already burdened with chronic disease. Serotonin has been implicated as a possible pathological mediator, and, therefore, 5HT(3) antagonists have been suggested as a possible therapeutic intervention. ⋯ Ondansetron was demonstrated to have negligible effect on cholestatic or uremic pruritus on the basis of a limited number of studies.
-
J Pain Symptom Manage · Sep 2012
Review Meta AnalysisThe experiences of relatives with the practice of palliative sedation: a systematic review.
Guidelines about palliative sedation typically include recommendations to protect the well-being of relatives. ⋯ Relatives' experiences with palliative sedation are mainly studied from the perspective of proxies, mostly professional caregivers. The majority of relatives seems to be comfortable with the use of palliative sedation; however, they may experience substantial distress by the use of sedation.
-
J Pain Symptom Manage · Aug 2012
Review Meta AnalysisA systematic evaluation of content, structure, and efficacy of interventions to improve patients' self-management of cancer pain.
Cancer pain continues to be extensively undertreated, despite established guidelines. Although the efficacy of interventions that support patients' self-management of cancer pain has been demonstrated in several studies, the most effective components of these interventions remain unknown. ⋯ This analysis provides researchers and clinicians with a detailed overview of the various structural and content components, as well as various combinations that were tested in intervention studies to improve cancer pain management. However, because of a variety of limitations, the most efficacious intervention components or combination of components remain to be determined in future studies.
-
J Pain Symptom Manage · Jun 2012
Meta AnalysisKey characteristics of palliative care studies reported in the specialized literature.
Although research activity in palliative care is rapidly increasing, the composition of published studies--in terms of significant research characteristics--has not yet been well described. ⋯ Although there is a broad range of research undertaken in palliative care, few studies generate high-level evidence, with data showing a relative lack of funding for hospice and palliative care studies.
-
J Pain Symptom Manage · Jan 2012
Review Meta AnalysisThe effectiveness of patient-family carer (couple) intervention for the management of symptoms and other health-related problems in people affected by cancer: a systematic literature search and narrative review.
Cancer is widely acknowledged to impact on the whole family. Yet, we do not know if there is benefit (or harm) from patient-family carer interventions in the context of cancer care. ⋯ In the trials of cancer couple interventions included in the review, a pattern emerged of improvement in the emotional health of cancer patients and their carers when the intervention included support for the patient-family carer relationship. Further investigation is warranted.