Journal of pain and symptom management
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Dec 2020
Preparedness of African palliative care services to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic: A rapid assessment.
Palliative care is an essential component of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic response but is overlooked in national and international preparedness plans. The preparedness and capacity of African palliative care services to respond to COVID-19 is unknown. ⋯ Our survey suggests that African palliative care services could support the wider health system's response to the COVID-19 pandemic with greater resources such as basic infection control materials. It identified specific and systemic weaknesses impeding their preparedness to respond to outbreaks. The findings call for urgent measures to ensure staff and patient safety.
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With perpetual research, management refinement, and increasing survivorship, cancer care is steadily evolving into a chronic disease model. Rehabilitation physicians are quite accustomed to managing chronic conditions, yet, cancer rehabilitation remains unexplored. ⋯ This, together with palliative care's expertise in managing the panoply of troubling symptoms that beset patients with malignancy, makes them natural allies in the comprehensive management of this patient group from the moment of diagnosis. This article will explore the under-recognized and underused parallels and synergies between the two specialties as well as identifying potential challenges and areas for future growth.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Dec 2020
Investigation of modifiable variables to increase hospice nurse comfort with care provision to children and families in the community: A population-level study across Tennessee, Mississippi, and Arkansas.
Most hospice nurses across Tennessee, Arkansas, and Mississippi report significant discomfort with provision of pediatric palliative and hospice care (PPHC). How best to target and modify variables to increase nurse comfort levels is not well understood. ⋯ Modifiable variables exist that are readily targetable to improve hospice nurse comfort with PPHC provision. These findings should inform the development and investigation of clinical and educational interventions to empower both nurses and hospices to optimize the provision of quality care to children with serious illness and their families in the community.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Nov 2020
ReviewHigh-dose 8% capsaicin patch in treatment of Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN). A Systematic review.
This is a review of the evidence from studies of the efficacy and tolerability of topically applied and high-concentration (8%) capsaicin in chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy. ⋯ Additional clinical trials are required to establish the definitive role of the capsaicin patch in the future.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Nov 2020
Palliative care for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis patients: Pulmonary physicians' view.
Although idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) has worse outcomes compared with most malignancies, patients with IPF receive poor access to optimal palliative care. ⋯ Pulmonologists experienced greater difficulty in providing palliative care to patients with IPF than to those with lung cancer. Clinical studies on the optimal palliative care for patients with IPF are urgently required.