Palliative medicine
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Palliative medicine · Sep 2013
ReviewPreferred place of death for children and young people with life-limiting and life-threatening conditions: a systematic review of the literature and recommendations for future inquiry and policy.
Home is often cited as preferred place of death in the United Kingdom and elsewhere. This position, however, usually relies on data concerning adults and not evidence about children. The latter data are scant, primarily retrospective and from parents. ⋯ The evidence base for current policies that stress the need to increase home death rates for children and young people with life-limiting and life-threatening conditions is inadequate. Further rigorous research should collect data from parents, children and siblings.
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Palliative medicine · Sep 2013
Multicenter StudyNeuropathic cancer pain: prevalence, severity, analgesics and impact from the European Palliative Care Research Collaborative-Computerised Symptom Assessment study.
Neuropathic pain causes greater pain intensity and worse quality of life than nociceptive pain. There are no published data that confirm this in the cancer population. ⋯ Neuropathic cancer pain is associated with a negative impact on daily living and greater analgesic requirements than nociceptive cancer pain. Validated assessment methods are needed to enable early identification of neuropathic cancer pain, leading to more appropriate treatment and reduced burden on patients.
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Palliative medicine · Sep 2013
Symptom prevalence, severity and palliative care needs assessment using the Palliative Outcome Scale: a cross-sectional study of patients with Parkinson's disease and related neurological conditions.
Palliative care is rarely being offered to patients with Parkinson's disease. ⋯ This is the first study to describe the care needs of people with Parkinson's disease using the Palliative Outcome Scale tool. The burden of symptoms and concerns was high in advanced stages of disease. It might be appropriate that people severely affected by these conditions should be considered for referral to specialist palliative care services.
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Palliative medicine · Sep 2013
End-of-life decisions for people with intellectual disabilities, an interview study with patient representatives.
Not much is known about the process of end-of-life decision-making for people with intellectual disabilities. ⋯ From the perspective of the patient representatives, the process of end-of-life decision-making can be improved by ensuring clear roles and an explicit description of the tasks and responsibilities of all participants. Regular discussion between everyone involved including people with intellectual disabilities themselves can improve knowledge about each other's motives for end-of-decisions and can clarify expectations towards each other.
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Palliative medicine · Sep 2013
The experiences of patients with ascites secondary to cancer: a qualitative study.
Ascites secondary to cancer has a dramatic effect on all aspects of patients' lives. Healthcare professional surveys have shown that there is considerable variation in the management of ascites. ⋯ Patients' experiences of ascites management are variable and could be improved. These experiences can inform healthcare professionals. They have views on when semi-permanent drains should be offered and future research.