Polskie Archiwum Medycyny Wewnętrznej
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Pol. Arch. Med. Wewn. · Oct 2019
Polypharmacy and medication errors on admission to palliative care.
Many patients at the end of their life are treated with multiple medications while some of the drugs may no longer be beneficial and should be reduced. ⋯ Polypharmacy and increased risk of drug inappropriateness particularly affect elderly patients referred by hospitals, with poor prognosis, low performance, admitted to in‑patient hospice. Therapy reduction may diminish the risk of therapeutic inappropriateness but requires further education within nonspecialist palliative care.
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Pol. Arch. Med. Wewn. · Oct 2019
ReviewUse of bedside ultrasound to assess fluid status: a literature review.
The assessment of a patient's body fluid status is a challenging task for modern clinicians. Ultrasonography has numerous advantages, the most important being reproducibility and bedside monitoring of the patient. The examination is quick and has a significant diagnostic value. ⋯ Ultrasound enables physicians to determine the baseline status of hydration and to monitor the patient during fluid therapy. Additionally, it allows an assessment of asymptomatic patients, patients who are well adapted to chronic oxygen deficiency, and those who develop pulmonary congestion secondary to congestive heart failure or chronic kidney disease. The development of a protocol for an ultrasound assessment of the volume status would significantly facilitate the everyday practice of internal medicine specialists.