Journal of pain and symptom management
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Jan 2021
Randomized Controlled TrialYokukansan for treatment of preoperative anxiety and prevention of postoperative delirium in cancer patients undergoing highly invasive surgery. J-SUPPORT 1605 (ProD Study): A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.
No standard preventive or therapeutic methods have been established for preoperative anxiety and postoperative delirium in patients with cancer. ⋯ In patients with cancer undergoing highly invasive surgeries, yokukansan demonstrated no significant efficacy for the treatment of preoperative anxiety or the prevention of postoperative delirium. Yokukansan is already used in daily practice in Japan, but we should be careful with its future use.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Jan 2021
Were clinical routines for good end-of-life care maintained in hospitals and nursing homes during the first three months of the outbreak of COVID-19? A national register study.
Although the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic might affect important clinical routines, few studies have focused on the maintenance of good quality in end-of-life care. ⋯ This national register study shows that several clinical routines for end-of-life care did not meet the usual standards during the first three months of the COVID-19 pandemic in Sweden. Higher preparedness for and monitoring of end-of-life care quality should be integrated into future pandemic plans.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Jan 2021
How to Be a Friend-Who-is-a-Physician Without Being a Physician Friend.
As physicians, we are often asked for advice when loved ones become ill. Sometimes, the request advice is explicit; often, it is more supportive in nature and this may blur the boundary between being a friend and being a physician. Through various excerpts from social medial exchange, this narrative discusses the experience with a friend who was diagnosed with head and neck cancer during my Palliative Medicine Fellowship.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Jan 2021
Development of a Novel Communication Liaison Program to Support COVID-19 Patients and their Families.
In the spring of 2020, our hospital faced a surge of critically ill coronavirus disease 2019 patients, with intensive care unit (ICU) occupancy peaking at 204% of the baseline maximum capacity. In anticipation of this surge, we developed a remote communication liaison program to help the ICU and palliative care teams support families of critically ill patients. ⋯ We report here the primary elements needed to reproduce and scale this program in other hospitals facing similar ICU surges, including a checklist for replication (Appendix I). Keys to success include strong logistical support, clinical reference material designed for rapid evolution, and a liaison team structure with peer coaching.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Jan 2021
Review Meta AnalysisClinically Significant Depressive Symptoms are Prevalent in People with Extremely Short Prognoses - A Systematic Review.
Currently, systematic evidence of the prevalence of clinically significant depressive symptoms in people with extremely short prognoses is not available to inform its global burden, assessment, and management. ⋯ Clinically, significant depressive symptoms were prevalent in people with advanced life-limiting illnesses and extremely short prognoses. Clinicians need to be proactive in the recognition and assessment of these symptoms to allow for timely intervention.