Journal of pain and symptom management
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Dec 2020
Case ReportsCan Orthodox Jewish Patients Undergo Palliative Extubation? A Challenging Ethics Case Study.
According to Jewish law/ethics, continuous life-sustaining therapy may not be withdrawn after its introduction, unless the patient has improved and no longer has a medical indication for the treatment. We report the case of an 88-year-old Orthodox Jewish patient, on invasive mechanical ventilation, with severe anoxic brain injury after multiple cardiac arrests. Although the patient's son informed the palliative care team that his father did not want to be in pain or to linger in a vegetative state when terminally ill, the mechanical ventilation was keeping him alive with a poor neurological prognosis. ⋯ Following intermediation by the hospital Rabbi, the definition of what would be a "reasonable expectation" and "reasonable amount of time" was established by the family Rabbi as "over 50%" and "on the order of hours," respectively. Following pulmonary consultation, the patient underwent palliative extubation and, 12 hours after the procedure, died comfortably surrounded by the family. In conclusion, the collaborative and interdisciplinary work among the family Rabbi, hospital Rabbi, and the various medical teams allowed the development of a plan that met all of the patient's personal and religious wishes and beliefs.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Dec 2020
Determinants of physicians' attitudes toward the management of infectious diseases in terminally-ill patients with cancer.
Antimicrobials are frequently prescribed to terminally ill patients with cancer; however, physicians' practice patterns regarding antimicrobial use vary widely. This study aimed to systematically identify factors that determine physicians' attitudes toward the management of infectious diseases in terminally ill patients with cancer. ⋯ Physicians have divergent attitudes toward the management of infectious diseases in terminally ill patients with cancer. Reflection by physicians on their own beliefs and perceptions regarding infectious disease management and a "good death" may help provide the best end-of-life care.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Dec 2020
Palliative care physicians and palliative radiotherapy, knowledge and barriers for referring: a cross-sectional study.
Palliative radiotherapy is effective in the management of symptoms resulting from advanced cancer. However, it remains underutilized. In developed countries, many factors have been linked to this phenomenon but data in developing and low-income countries, particularly in Latin America, are lacking. ⋯ Several barriers affect referral to palliative radiotherapy. Some barriers seem to be more significant for physicians practicing in cities far from cancer centers. Physicians' knowledge is less than optimal and has been identified as a barrier to referral. Educational interventions and broadening the availability of cancer treatment resources are needed to improve the referral process.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Dec 2020
ReviewExploring the Uptake of Advance Care Planning in Older Adults: An Integrative Review.
Advance care planning (ACP) is essential to elicit goals, values, and preferences of care in older adults with serious illness and on trajectories of frailty. An exploration of ACP uptake in older adults may identify barriers and facilitators. ⋯ Enhanced communication and ACP facilitators improve uptake of ACP. Clinicians should be cognizant of these factors. This review provides a guide for clinicians who are considering implementation strategies to facilitate ACP in real-world settings.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Dec 2020
Pain Experience, Physical Function, Pain Coping, and Catastrophizing in Children with Sickle Cell Disease who had Normal and Abnormal Sensory Patterns.
Sickle cell disease (SCD) is associated with recurrent pain that could lead to abnormal sensory patterns (ASPs). ⋯ Children with SCD with ASP had worse functional disability, were expressing more affective pain quality, and had emotion-focused pain coping compared with NSP. Future studies are needed to examine the effectiveness of physical activities on the physical function as well as psychosocial interventions such as peer support and creative arts expression to minimize development of ASP in children with SCD.