Articles: palliative-care.
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Palliative medicine · Jan 1997
Hospice and palliative care in the UK 1994-5, including a summary of trends 1990-5.
A survey of hospice and specialist palliative care services in the UK in the year 1994-5 was undertaken, enquiring about inpatient, home care and day care services. Over 500 questionnaires were sent out in June 1995 and replies were analysed by the Hospice Information Service. ⋯ The response rates to various parts of the questionnaire are tabulated and national estimates are made of the numbers of patients receiving palliative care from specialist providers. The survey is one in a series of annual surveys and the development of specialist palliative care services over the last five years is discussed.
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Palliative medicine · Jan 1997
Validity of the McGill Quality of Life Questionnaire in the palliative care setting: a multi-centre Canadian study demonstrating the importance of the existential domain.
This study was carried out in eight palliative care services in four Canadian cities. A revised version of The McGill Quality of Life Questionnaire (MQOL) is compared to a single-item scale measuring overall quality of life (SIS), and the self-administered version of the Spitzer Quality of Life Index (SA-QLI), to obtain evidence of validity. ⋯ The MQOL subscales, constructed on the basis of principal components analysis, demonstrate acceptable internal consistency reliability. The MQOL measures reflecting physical well-being and existential well-being are important for predicting SIS.
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Our study was a pilot test of an interdisciplinary training program in palliative care to improve the quality of care to terminally ill cancer and AIDS patients in rural and northern communities in Manitoba. The program involved two weeks of intense palliative care training for nurses, social workers, physicians, and volunteers. Four teams were trained during a six-month period. ⋯ Results indicated that health professionals' knowledge about care of the dying, care of individuals with HIV/AIDS, and attitudes toward care of the dying improved upon completion of the training program and remained improved three months following the program. Improvements in use of medications, increased attention to family care, increased discussion of DNR orders, and increased consultation related to symptom management were evident following the training program. The parallel training program for volunteers was also judged to be effective.
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Support Care Cancer · Jan 1997
Palliative iodized talc pleurodesis with instillation via tube thoracostomy.
Pleural effusions are a severe complication of advanced malignant disease. Palliative treatment strategies should be simple and effective. We investigated iodized talc pleurodesis through tube thoracostomy for this purpose. ⋯ The success rate after 3 months was 92.5%. In conclusion, iodized talc pleurodesis is an excellent tool in the palliative management of malignant pleural effusions. Administration via chest tube is sufficient for treatment success.
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Practice Guideline Guideline
Palliative care: a bioethical definition, principles, and clinical guidelines.