Journal of palliative medicine
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To investigate patterns of grief and depression in a sample of parents whose child had died of cancer, and to examine factors related to burden of illness and end-of-life care as potential predictors of parental grief and depression outcomes. ⋯ A minority of parents met criteria for PGD and depression, however, almost half the sample was experiencing significant separation distress associated with persistent longing and yearning for their child. Time since death is a significant predictor of parental psychological distress. This study also highlights the importance of end-of-life factors in parents' long-term adjustment and the need for optimal palliative care to ensure the best possible outcomes for parents.
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Blood transfusions are often used as a potential treatment for cancer-related fatigue in anaemic palliative care patients. However, evidence of benefit using validated outcomes measures is lacking. ⋯ Thirty patients with cancer-related fatigue who received a blood transfusion completed the study. Both measures were capable of detecting statistical and clinically significant change in fatigue following transfusion. Furthermore, the measures showed significant differences between patients that did, or did not, report an overall improvement in fatigue. Patients found the measures easy to complete with no preference for one over another. Future clinical trials of blood transfusion for the management of fatigue should incorporate these validated outcome measures.
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A wide range of palliative care services has been implemented in Catalonia over the past 20 years. Quantitative and qualitative differences in the organization of palliative care services between districts and settings can result in wide variability in the quality of these services, and their accessibility. ⋯ We conclude that benchmark methodology is valuable in acquiring data for use in improving palliative care organization for patients' benefit.