Journal of pain and symptom management
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J Pain Symptom Manage · May 2024
IDENTIFICATION OF A HIGHER RISK LYMPHEDEMA PHENOTYPE AND ASSOCIATIONS WITH CYTOKINE GENE POLYMORPHISMS.
Breast cancer-related lymphedema (BCRL) is chronic condition that occurs in 5% to 75% of women following treatment for breast cancer. However, little is known about the risk factors and mechanisms associated with a worse BCRL profile. ⋯ The readily available and clinically relevant phenotypic characteristics associated with a worse BCRL profile can be used by clinicians to identify higher risk patients. If confirmed, these characteristics can be tested in predictive risk models. In addition, the candidate gene findings may guide the development of mechanistically-based interventions to decrease the risk of BCRL.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · May 2024
Increasing Knowledge about Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators at the End of Life, an Effective Approach for Hospice Workers to Improve Patient Care.
Implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) decrease mortality in high-risk patients but can also cause distressing shocks near death. Patients who lack knowledge about their ICDs are more likely to have an active device at the end of life. Many hospice workers lack sufficient knowledge to educate patients about ICDs. ⋯ An ICD patient educational video designed for a diverse, underserved patient population effectively improved ICD knowledge to a uniform excellent level for a broad range of hospice workers.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · May 2024
Feasibility of a Two-Step Palliative Screening Utilizing Existing Emergency Department Resources.
Although the Emergency Department (ED) offers a unique setting to provide early palliative care, staffing limitations curtail hospitals from establishing ED-palliative partnerships. ⋯ Our project demonstrated feasibility of a two-step ED-palliative protocol by increasing palliative care consultation without necessitating additional staff.