International journal of palliative nursing
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Successful symptom management in the palliative and terminal care of patients frequently involves the use of syringe drivers. A wealth of literature exists to support their use in the care of adult patients both within specialist palliative care inpatient units and in the community setting. However, little has been written regarding their use in the paediatric population. The purpose of this article is to examine specific issues concerning the use of syringe drivers when caring for children and young people in the terminal phase of illness.
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This article is a personal reflection and exploration of the potential of poetry in palliative care. Poetry can help enable expression of individuals' deepest unspoken concerns and may provide a means of providing spiritual care. ⋯ To illustrate the potential therapeutic value of poetry in palliative care, examples of poems by poets, patients and the author are included. The article concludes that poetry can bring about a sense of healing, and should be considered as a possible addition to other holistic therapies.
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In this article the author describes the Micrel Micropump MP Daily (MP Daily) portable syringe driver. This follows the author's experience of a 4-month pilot of the device by an inpatient palliative care unit. Portable syringe drivers are commonly used to deliver continuous subcutaneous infusions in palliative care situations. ⋯ Improvements over current models include an on/off button, the absence of facilities to set a zero rate or change the rate once the syringe driver is running, and the absence of a boost button. In addition, there are improved alarms, a message display system and a configuration menu. Although confusion remains a problem, and the ideal has not yet been reached, the MP Daily goes some considerable way towards reducing risks and opportunities for human error.
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This article presents the chronology and significance of events that typically occur before and after death in the Hindu household. In the first section the authors concentrate on issues and consideration before death that are potentially of relevance to healthcare professionals providing terminal care. The section that follows aims to help healthcare professionals to understand the events that often occur in the immediate aftermath of death. It is hoped that this will help healthcare professionals provide holistic care for their patients.