The Gulf journal of oncology
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Palliative Care (PC) is an evolving oncology subspecialty in the Middle East (ME). Justified opioid use is an integral part of palliative care. Often, morphine consumption is taken as a quality indicator of palliative care services, but is it a reliable indicator to reflect the status of palliative care in current Middle East setting? We need to understand that data on morphine consumption, represent the amount distributed of morphine per person in a country and does not refer the actual justified amount utilization of opioids. ⋯ There is an urgent and essential need to work for comprehensive and integrated palliative care programs encompassing the subspecialties. It must include and care for local perspectives of psychological, social, spiritual, and religious issues in PC in addition to pain management. There remains a need for health education for population, advocacy for policy makers, and a political will at the appropriate levels to meet these challenges.
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Pain is the most common symptoms in patients with cancer, a significant number of cases it is undiagnosed and under treated. It is important to understand the nature of the pain experienced by patients, to distinguish between nociceptive and neuropathic pain. Successful management of cancer pain requires a good knowledge of the causes of pain and various treatment available and information to manage their side effects. Pain has a significant negative impact on the patient and his family, therefore it needs to be managed urgently and appropriately.
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Multiple myeloma is a plasma cell neoplasm with a spectrum spanning from localized to disseminated forms, plasma cell infiltration of various organs, plasma cell leukemia and abnormal immunoglobulin chain deposition in the tissues. In the bone marrow, myeloma cells are seen, and vary from mature forms to immature pleomorphic, anaplastic cells. M component is found in the serum or urine in 99% of the patients. ⋯ The percentage incidence of Multiple Myeloma, out of all hematological malignancies reported in our study is comparable with other studies as regards to the median age of incidence, male to female ratio, clinical presentation and percentage of M band positivity. However, a higher percentage of our patients had hypercalcemia, higher Serum Lactate Dehydrogenase levels and C -Reactive protein positivity and more lytic lesions. This corresponds with a higher tumor cell burden and a more frequent diffuse pattern of bone marrow involvement in our study group. This could be due to the smaller size of our study group, or due to late referral of patients to our tertiary care hospital.
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Idiopathic Ibn Sina, popularly known in the west as Avicenna;(980-1037 A. D.) was one of the foremost physicians and Islamic philosophers of his time. ⋯ It described some of the most illuminating medical thoughts that are relevant to modern medicine. In this article, we pay tribute to this great medieval Arab physician by providing a brief overview of his life and works, with special reference to his contribution to the advancement of medical science.