Palliative medicine
-
Palliative medicine · Jun 2022
Impact of expected parental death on the health of adolescent and young adult children: A systematic review of the literature.
Few studies of health impacts of parental death focus on the developmental stage of adolescence and young adulthood and in particular, expected parental death from terminal illness. ⋯ This review specifically analysed the health impact of expected parental death on adolescent and young adult children. It highlights their need for age-appropriate psychosocial support and clear information during parental illness, death and bereavement.
-
Palliative medicine · Jun 2022
Employment and family caregiving in palliative care: An international qualitative study.
Family caregivers provide the majority of palliative care. The impact of family caregiving on employment and finances has received little research attention in the field of palliative care. ⋯ Supporting carers to retain employment whilst providing care has potential benefits for the patient at end of life, the caregiver, and the wider economy and labour market. Employers, policymakers and governments have a role to play in developing and implementing policies to support working carers to remain in employment.
-
Palliative medicine · Jun 2022
Meta AnalysisEfficacy of medicinal cannabis for appetite-related symptoms in people with cancer: A systematic review.
Anorexia (loss of appetite) is a prevalent and distressing symptom in people with cancer, with limited effective interventions. Medicinal cannabis has shown promise in improving appetite-related symptoms in people with cancer. ⋯ Evidence from RCTs that medicinal cannabis increases appetite in people with cancer is limited. Measures, outcomes and interventions were variable, and toxicities have not been comprehensively evaluated. Future research should carefully consider biological mechanisms to guide more nuanced selection of endpoints and interventions, including product, dose and administration.
-
Palliative medicine · Jun 2022
Pharmacovigilance in hospice/palliative care: Net effect of amitriptyline or nortriptyline on neuropathic pain: UTS/IMPACCT Rapid programme international consecutive cohort.
Real-world effectiveness of interventions in palliative care need to be systematically quantified to inform patient/clinical decisions. Neuropathic pain is prevalent and difficult to palliate. Tricyclic antidepressants have an established role for some neuropathic pain aetiologies, but this is less clear in palliative care. ⋯ Benefits favoured amitriptyline while harms were similar for both medications.
-
Palliative medicine · Jun 2022
Symptom burden and lived experiences of patients, caregivers and healthcare professionals on the management of malignant bowel obstruction: A qualitative systematic review.
Malignant bowel obstruction occurs in up to 50% of people with advanced ovarian and 15% of people with gastrointestinal cancers. Evaluation and comparison of interventions to manage symptoms are hampered by inconsistent evaluations of efficacy and lack of agreed core outcomes. The patient perspective is rarely incorporated. ⋯ Some of the most devastating sequelae of malignant bowel obstruction, such as pain and psychological distress, are not included routinely in its clinical or research evaluation. These data will contribute to a wider body of work to ensure the patient and caregiver perspective is recognised in the development of a core outcome set.