Journal of pain and symptom management
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Jul 2012
ReviewGuided imagery for non-musculoskeletal pain: a systematic review of randomized clinical trials.
Our previous review of the literature concluded that there is encouraging evidence that guided imagery alleviates musculoskeletal pain, but the value of guided imagery in the management of non-musculoskeletal pain remains uncertain. ⋯ The evidence that guided imagery alleviates non-musculoskeletal pain is encouraging but remains inconclusive.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Jul 2012
Randomized Controlled TrialA pilot randomized controlled trial of an oral care intervention to reduce mucositis severity in stem cell transplant patients.
Oral mucositis remains a significant problem in autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT). ⋯ Oral cryotherapy plus an oral care protocol appears to be beneficial in reducing severity of mucositis compared with an oral care protocol alone.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Jul 2012
The Spiritual Needs Assessment for Patients (SNAP): development and validation of a comprehensive instrument to assess unmet spiritual needs.
Unmet spiritual needs have been associated with decreased patient ratings of quality of care, satisfaction, and quality of life. There is a need for a well-validated, psychometrically sound instrument to describe and measure spiritual needs. ⋯ The results provide preliminary evidence that the SNAP is a valid and reliable instrument for measuring spiritual needs in a diverse patient population.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Jul 2012
Comparative StudyThe practice of continuous deep sedation until death in Flanders (Belgium), the Netherlands, and the U.K.: a comparative study.
Existing empirical evidence shows that continuous deep sedation until death is given in about 15% of all deaths in Flanders, Belgium (BE), 8% in The Netherlands (NL), and 17% in the U.K. ⋯ Differences in the prevalence of continuous deep sedation appear to reflect complex legal, cultural, and organizational factors more than differences in patients' characteristics or clinical profiles. Further in-depth studies should explore whether these differences also reflect differences between countries in the quality of end-of-life care.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Jul 2012
Case ReportsA successful palliative care intervention for cancer pain refractory to intrathecal analgesia.
Intrathecal delivery of opioid medications has been increasingly used to treat cancer pain that is refractory to conventional oral opioid therapy. We present a patient with complex and refractory cancer pain who failed both oral and intrathecal opioid therapy but responded to the interdisciplinary palliative care intervention in the acute palliative care unit. His morphine equivalent daily dose decreased by 94% over a 10-day period, and he had better pain control and improved function. This case highlights the importance of addressing and treating the psychosocial distress that contributes to the total pain expression.