The Medical clinics of North America
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Med. Clin. North Am. · May 2020
Review Comparative StudyCannabis for Symptom Management in Older Adults.
The purpose of this article is to present evidence on the efficacy and safety of medical cannabis as a therapy for symptom management in palliative care. This article provides an overview of the evidence on the risks and benefits of using medical cannabis for the indications of chronic pain, cancer-related pain, cancer cachexia, dementia, and Alzheimer's disease. Currently, there is insufficient evidence to determine the effectiveness and safety of cannabinoids for most reviewed indications, with the exception of chronic pain. Future research is required before palliative care clinicians can make evidence-based decisions on the integration of medical cannabis as adjunct therapies.
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Med. Clin. North Am. · May 2020
Review Comparative StudyGoals of Care Conversations in Serious Illness: A Practical Guide.
Clinicians working with seriously ill patients need the skills to effectively communicate with patients and their families throughout the trajectory of illness. Common communication tasks that arise in the care of seriously ill patients include advance care planning, delivering serious news, discussing prognosis, eliciting values, and medical decision making. ⋯ Similar to other procedures, goals of care conversations require a systematic, evidence-based approach to ensure quality and value. This article provides a framework that clinicians can follow to effectively communicate with seriously ill patients and families and promote patient-centered care.
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Med. Clin. North Am. · May 2020
Review Comparative StudyOptions of Last Resort: Palliative Sedation, Physician Aid in Dying, and Voluntary Cessation of Eating and Drinking.
Some patients with terminal and degenerative illnesses request assistance to hasten death when suffering is refractory to palliative care, or they strongly desire to maximize their autonomy and dignity and minimize suffering. Palliative sedation (PS), voluntarily stopping eating and drinking (VSED), and physician-assisted death (PAD) are possible options of last resort. A decision to choose PS can be made by an informed surrogate decision maker, whereas intact decision-making capacity is required to choose VSED or PAD. For all palliative treatments of last resort, the risk of harm is minimized by the use of checklists, and establishment of policies and procedures.
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Med. Clin. North Am. · May 2020
ReviewManagement of Respiratory Symptoms in Those with Serious Illness.
Respiratory symptoms are common in patients living with serious illness, both in cancer and nonmalignant conditions. Common symptoms include dyspnea (breathlessness), cough, malignant pleural effusions, airway secretions, and hemoptysis. ⋯ There are pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic approaches to treating respiratory symptoms. This article provides clinicians with treatment approaches to these burdensome symptoms.
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Palliative medicine is specialized medical care for people with serious illness. Serious illness is one with high risk of mortality that negatively affects quality of life or function or is burdensome in symptoms, treatments, or caregiver stress. Palliative care improves symptom management and addresses the needs of patients and families, resulting in improved patient and caregiver quality of life and reduced symptom burden and health care utilization. Hospice is palliative care for patients with a prognosis of 6 months or less and is appropriate when goals are to avoid hospitalization and maximize time at home for patients who are dying.