Articles: palliative-care.
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Case Reports
Pediatric Palliative Care in a Pandemic: Role Obligations, Moral Distress, and the Care You Can Give.
Many ethical issues arise concerning the care of critically ill and dying patients during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. In this issue's Ethics Rounds, we present 2 cases that highlight 2 different sorts of ethical issues. ⋯ The other is focused on the psychological issues that arise for parents who are caring for a dying child when infection-control policies limit the number of visitors. Both of these situations raise challenges for caregivers who are trying to be honest, to deal with their own moral distress, and to provide compassionate palliative care.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Jul 2020
Conservative management of Covid-19 patients - emergency palliative care in action.
The COVID-19 pandemic is spreading across the world. Many patients will not be suitable for mechanical ventilation owing to the underlying health conditions, and they will require a conservative approach including palliative care management for their important symptom burden. ⋯ Palliative care during the COVID-19 pandemic needs to adapt to an emergency style of palliative care as patients can deteriorate rapidly and require quick decisions and clear treatment plans. These need to be easily followed up by generalist staff members caring for these patients. Furthermore, palliative care should be at the forefront to help make the best decisions, give care to families, and offer spiritual support.
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Despite recent growth in palliative care programs palliative care remains underutilized. Studies suggest that patients and providers commonly associate palliative care with end of life, often leading to misconceptions and late referrals. ⋯ US adults who have some knowledge of palliative care are most likely to confuse it with hospice but are less likely to see it as requiring forgoing treatment or as giving up. Primary care clinicians should be encouraged to communicate about palliative care with patients.
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Dimens Crit Care Nurs · Jul 2020
Evaluating the Outcomes of an Organizational Initiative to Expand End-of-Life Resources in Intensive Care Units With Palliative Support Tools and Floating Hospice.
There is evidence that palliative care and floating (inpatient) hospice can improve end-of-life experiences for patients and their families in the intensive care unit (ICU). However, both palliative care and hospice remain underutilized in the ICU setting. ⋯ This study provided the organization with vital information about their initiative to expand end-of-life resources. Utilization and timing of palliative consults and floating hospice referrals were lower and later than expected, highlighting the importance of developing purposeful strategies beyond education to address ICU cultural and structural barriers.