Palliative medicine
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Palliative medicine · Jul 2022
Meta AnalysisThe utility of the surprise question: A useful tool for identifying patients nearing the last phase of life? A systematic review and meta-analysis.
The surprise question is widely used to identify patients nearing the last phase of life. Potential differences in accuracy between timeframe, patient subgroups and type of healthcare professionals answering the surprise question have been suggested. Recent studies might give new insights. ⋯ We found overall reasonable test characteristics for the surprise question. Additionally, this study showed notable differences in performance within patient subgroups. However, we did not find an indication of notable differences between timeframe and healthcare professionals.
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Palliative medicine · Jul 2022
Meta AnalysisHow effective is virtual reality technology in palliative care? A systematic review and meta-analysis.
The efficacy of virtual reality for people living with a terminal illness is unclear. ⋯ Virtual reality in palliative care is feasible and acceptable. However, limited sample sizes and very low-quality studies mean that the efficacy of virtual reality needs further research.
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Palliative medicine · Jun 2022
Meta AnalysisEfficacy of medicinal cannabis for appetite-related symptoms in people with cancer: A systematic review.
Anorexia (loss of appetite) is a prevalent and distressing symptom in people with cancer, with limited effective interventions. Medicinal cannabis has shown promise in improving appetite-related symptoms in people with cancer. ⋯ Evidence from RCTs that medicinal cannabis increases appetite in people with cancer is limited. Measures, outcomes and interventions were variable, and toxicities have not been comprehensively evaluated. Future research should carefully consider biological mechanisms to guide more nuanced selection of endpoints and interventions, including product, dose and administration.
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Palliative medicine · Feb 2022
Meta AnalysisRisk factors for delirium in adult patients receiving specialist palliative care: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Delirium is common and distressing for patients receiving palliative care. Interventions targetting modifiable risk factors in other settings have been shown to prevent delirium. Research on delirium risk factors in palliative care can inform context-specific risk-reduction interventions. ⋯ Findings may usefully inform interventions to reduce delirium risk but more high quality prospective cohort studies are required to enable greater certainty about associations of different risk factors with delirium during specialist palliative care.
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Palliative medicine · Feb 2022
Meta AnalysisPrevalence of grief disorders in bereaved families of cancer patients: A meta-analysis.
Cancer caregiving is a distressing experience and loss of a loved one can lead to intense grief and other adverse effects. However, the prevalence of grief disorders among families associated with cancer-related deaths remains unknown. ⋯ As the prevalence of grief disorders in cancer-related bereavement is substantial, therefore, support including palliative care is important to reduce the burden of caregiving. In addition, future studies are needed to identify and explore effective strategies that can help reduce the burden caused by grief disorders after the death of the patient.