Journal of pain and symptom management
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Aug 2024
ReviewEfficacy and Safety of Pregabalin and Gabapentin for Pruritus: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Limited data existed on the efficacy and safety of novel antiepileptic drugs (pregabalin and gabapentin) in treating pruritus. ⋯ The novel antiepileptic drugs pregabalin and gabapentin demonstrated significant therapeutic value in the treatment of pruritus, with a favorable safety profile. Compared to commonly used pruritus treatments such as antihistamines and antidepressants, these medications offered a promising alternative.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Aug 2024
ReviewEffectiveness of music therapy, aromatherapy, and massage therapy on people in palliative care with end-of-life needs: A systematic review.
Music therapy, aromatherapy and massage therapy are widely used in palliative care in patients near end-of-life with the aim to reduce symptom burden and improve quality of life (QoL). Recent research shows an increase in popularity and use of complementary and integrative medicine however a more thorough evidence base about their usefulness is required. ⋯ Main results found that music and massage therapy had the most potential benefits on a range of outcome parameters, including pain and QoL. Future studies may consider using more qualitative and/or mixed methods to provide a more comprehensive evaluation of treatment.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Aug 2024
Predictive Biomarkers of Dyspnea Response to Dexamethasone and Placebo in Cancer Patients.
In the Alleviating Breathlessness in Cancer Patients with Dexamethasone (ABCD) trial, dexamethasone did not improve dyspnea more than placebo in unselected cancer patients. However, it is unclear if patients with greater inflammation would be more likely to derive a treatment response. ⋯ Cytokines decreased with dexamethasone, but not placebo. Higher baseline cytokine levels may identify patients likely to respond to dexamethasone and less likely to respond to placebo.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Aug 2024
Comparative StudyComparison of Prognostic Abilities of Palliative Prognostic Index, Laboratory Prognostic Score, and Palliative Prognostic Score.
Few studies have compared the prognostic value of scoring systems based on physical and blood parameters in terminally ill patients with cancer. ⋯ The prognostic abilities of PPI, LPS, and PaP were comparable. The most adequate estimation occurred for patients with AS for 14-59 days. A more accurate prognostic model is needed for patients with longer survival.