Postgraduate medical journal
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Comparative Study
'Hospice' versus 'hospital' care--re-evaluation after 10 years as seen by surviving spouses.
This study compares terminal cancer care in 1967-69 with care in 1977-79 as evaluated by surviving spouses of patients who died in St Christopher's Hospice and other local hospitals. Patients and their surviving spouses reported less personal distress in both settings in 1977-79 than in 1967-69 and the patients were also thought to have suffered less pain. ⋯ Improvements may be attributable to the training in terminal care provided by staff of the Hospice since 1967 and augmented in its Study Centre which was opened in 1973. Although pain and distress in the patient is no longer a major problem in either setting, spouses in 1977-79 remain less anxious at St Christopher's Hospice than at other hospitals; they play a larger part in the care of the patient and are in closer contact with staff before and after bereavement.
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Two patients with long-standing nephrotic syndrome are described in whom urinary iron losses may have contributed towards an iron deficiency state. Seven other nephrotic patients were also studied. Increased urinary iron excretion was found in six out of nine patients and increased urinary copper excretion in all eight patients in whom it was measured. Trace metal losses in the urine in nephrotics may be important clinically.