Articles: palliative-care.
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Palliative medicine · Sep 2000
Participation in a creative arts project can foster hope in a hospice day centre.
This study explored the experiences of terminally ill patients taking part in an exhibition of their creative arts work. It took place in St Christopher's Hospice day centre, London, UK, which aims to facilitate an environment in which a range of social and creative opportunities is offered following the theoretical background of Maslow's and Rogers' theories of personal growth and creativity. ⋯ These themes were interpreted as positive expressions of self-esteem, autonomy, social integration and hope. It is suggested that it was possible to identify hope as the essence of the phenomenon, and that this is important in palliative care where traditionally continuation of active medical intervention has been equated with provision of hope.
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Palliative medicine · Sep 2000
Minimum dataset activity for hospice and hospital palliative care services in the UK 1997/98.
This study reports on the third in an annual series of surveys covering England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland on the activity of palliative care services. This report concentrates on inpatient (hospice and hospital) services. All 640 known UK palliative services were sent a standardized questionnaire asking about the characteristics and numbers of patients cared for. ⋯ There are 39,000 new hospice admissions each year and about 100,000 patients have contact with a hospital support service. Overall, the national provision of palliative care is increasing but there are groups who still appear to be missing out on palliative care, especially older people. Increasingly, patients appear to be admitted to a hospice earlier in care and are discharged home.
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Audit should be an integral part of any palliative care service. Terminal care is a continuum of palliative care. When looking for an objective measure for referrals to a new palliative care service within a specialist cancer hospital in Ireland, patient death was used as an end point. ⋯ Data from these audits were presented on several different occasions to both nursing and medical staff. This article describes these audits in detail and highlights some of the issues raised. Audit in palliative care is discussed.
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During the last phase of progressive cancer numerous problems may arise. Additionally to pain and other symptoms, psycho-social and spiritual considerations supervene. In such cases palliative medicine offers positive options. ⋯ The statistics of the home care service Bonn shows that in 1999 73 per cent of patients could be treated at home until the end of live. In 43 per cent physicians made the initial contact with this service organisation. This proves the necessity and acceptance of new structures in palliative out-patient care.
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Z Arztl Fortbild Qualitatssich · Sep 2000
[Treatment of nausea nad vomiting in palliative medicine].
Nausea and vomiting are the most distressing gastrointestinal symptoms in patients with far advanced malignant diseases. A complex pathophysiology exists between gastrointestinal tract and brainstem. Neurotransmitters play an important role. ⋯ Dependent on the cause the antiemetic, which blocks receptors peripherally or centrally, will be chosen. Main antiemetic groups are prokinetics, 5HT3-antagonists, dopaminantagonists, antihistaminics and phenothiazines. Symptom relief can be reached in 90% of the patients with a differentiated approach.