Palliative medicine
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Palliative medicine · Jan 2013
ReviewPerceived risks around choice and decision making at end-of-life: a literature review.
the World Health Organization identifies meeting patient choice for care as central to effective palliative care delivery. Little is known about how choice, which implies an objective balancing of options and risks, is understood and enacted through decision making at end-of-life. ⋯ the concept of risk acknowledges the factors that shape and constrain end-of-life choices. Recognition of perceived risks as a central factor in decision making would be of value in acknowledging and supporting meaningful decision making processes for patients with palliative care needs and their families.
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Palliative medicine · Jan 2013
Case ReportsNovel application of a fecal management system for vaginal use in radiotherapy-associated rectovaginal fistula.
While highly effective for treating certain gynecologic malignancies, radiotherapy carries known risks, including fistula formation. We report a 75-year-old female with advanced cervical carcinoma who was provided a vaginally placed fecal management system after developing a rectovaginal fistula following primary treatment with chemoradiation. This report presents and discusses a novel method to palliate symptomatic RVFs in advanced-stage cancer.
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Palliative medicine · Jan 2013
Perspectives of decision-making in requests for euthanasia: a qualitative research among patients, relatives and treating physicians in the Netherlands.
Euthanasia has been legally performed in the Netherlands since 2002. Respect for patient's autonomy is the underpinning ethical principal. However, patients have no right to euthanasia, and physicians have no obligation to provide it. Although over 3000 cases are conducted per year in the Netherlands, there is little known about how decision-making occurs and no guidance to support this difficult aspect of clinical practice. ⋯ A patient's request for euthanasia entails a complex process that demands emotional work by all participants. It is characterised by an intensive period of sharing information, relationship building and negotiation in order to reach agreement. We hypothesise that making decisions about euthanasia demands a proactive approach towards participants' preferences and values regarding end of life, towards the needs of relatives, towards the burden placed on physicians and a careful attention to shared decision-making. Future research should address the communicational skills professionals require for such complex decision-making.
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Palliative medicine · Jan 2013
ReviewThe use of observational scales to monitor symptom control and depth of sedation in patients requiring palliative sedation: a systematic review.
Palliative sedation is the intentional lowering of consciousness of a patient in the last phase of life to relieve suffering from refractory symptoms such as pain, delirium and dyspnoea. ⋯ A minority of studies reported the use of observational scales to monitor the effect of palliative sedation. Future studies should be focused on establishing proper instruments, most adequate frequency and timing of assessment, and interdisciplinary evaluation of sedation depth and symptom control for palliative sedation.