Palliative medicine
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Palliative medicine · Jun 2015
Case ReportsInterest of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation of the motor cortex in the management of refractory cancer pain in palliative care: Two case reports.
Non-drug treatments should be systematically associated to the medical analgesic treatment during the terminal phase of cancer. ⋯ In the context of palliative care of cancer patients experiencing refractory pain that is difficult to control by the usual treatments, motor cortex repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation, due to its noninvasive nature, can be used as an adjuvant therapy to improve various components of pain, including the emotional components. By reducing the doses of analgesics, repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation decreases the severity of their adverse effects and improves the patient's quality of life.
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Palliative medicine · Jun 2015
'You only have one chance to get it right': A qualitative study of relatives' experiences of caring at home for a family member with terminal cancer.
Relatives looking after a terminally ill family member at home face numerous challenges. Studies into relatives' experiences of home caregiving have been criticised for their descriptive nature and lack of theoretical underpinnings. ⋯ Existential psychology provides a theoretical perspective from which to understand the psychological complexity of the emotional challenges home caregivers face and a framework which may usefully inform research and clinical practice. Professionals' attentiveness to caregivers' needs can have powerful effects in assuaging anxiety, reducing isolation and enabling relatives to connect with the meaningfulness of caregiving.
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Palliative medicine · Jun 2015
ReviewFamily carers providing support to a person dying in the home setting: A narrative literature review.
This study is based on people dying at home relying on the care of unpaid family carers. There is growing recognition of the central role that family carers play and the burdens that they bear, but knowledge gaps remain around how to best support them. ⋯ Many studies focus on the support needs of people caring for a dying family member at home, but few studies have considered how the home space is affected. Given the increasing tendency for home deaths, greater understanding of the interplay of factors affecting family carers may help improve community services.
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Palliative medicine · Jun 2015
Audit of intrathecal drug delivery for patients with difficult-to-control cancer pain shows a sustained reduction in pain severity scores over a 6-month period.
Intrathecal drug delivery is known to be effective in alleviating cancer pain in patients for whom the conventional World Health Organization approach has proved insufficient. A multidisciplinary interventional cancer pain service was established in the West of Scotland in 2008 with the aim of providing a safe and effective intrathecal drug delivery service for patients with difficult-to-control cancer pain. ⋯ Evaluation of results of this case series shows that with the appropriate use of intrathecal drug delivery systems, patients with difficult-to-control cancer pain can benefit from effective pain relief for many months.
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Palliative medicine · Jun 2015
Comfort goal of care and end-of-life outcomes in dementia: A prospective study.
Many people with dementia die in a nursing home. A comfort care goal may be beneficial. Little research has examined the relationship between care goals and outcome. ⋯ We found that family satisfaction with care is related to a comfort care goal shortly after admission, but quality of dying did not. Establishing a comfort goal at an early stage may be important to the family. Advance care planning interventions should be studied for their effects on patient and family outcome.