Palliative medicine
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Palliative medicine · Jul 2005
Older adults' attitudes to death, palliative treatment and hospice care.
Cancer patients who receive care from specialist palliative care services in the UK are younger than those who do not receive this care. This may be explained by age-related differences in attitudes to end-of-life care. ⋯ The relative under-utilization of hospice and specialist palliative care services by older people with cancer in the UK cannot be explained by their attitudes to end-of-life issues and palliative care.
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Palliative medicine · Jul 2005
Existential issues do not necessarily result in existential suffering: lessons from cancer patients in Israel.
Existential distress has been recognized as a source of suffering for oncology patients. This study focusses on existential issues and coping mechanisms of a unique culturally diverse Jewish/Middle Eastern oncology population. ⋯ The findings of this study indicate that existential concerns are endemic in this patient population, but that significant distress is relatively uncommon. Early palliative measures, family support, effective coping strategies, and religious belief systems may influence the way patients with advanced cancer deal with existential concerns.
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Palliative medicine · Jun 2005
ReviewEffectiveness of whole brain radiotherapy in the treatment of brain metastases: a systematic review.
Brain metastases are the most common intracranial tumour in adults, estimated to occur in up to 40% of patients with cancer. Despite being used in clinical practice for 50 years, the effectiveness of whole brain radiotherapy for the treatment of brain metastases remains uncertain. ⋯ The heterogeneity of study designs, quality and outcomes necessitates caution in interpreting the review findings. WBRT appears to be of benefit in higher performance status patients but not in low performance status patients. This suggests a basis for current practice, however further robust trial evidence is required.
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Palliative medicine · Jun 2005
Why are bereaved family members dissatisfied with specialised inpatient palliative care service? A nationwide qualitative study.
In order to improve the quality of palliative care, we can learn from bereaved families who were dissatisfied with the care they received. The primary aim of this study was to explore why bereaved families were dissatisfied with specialized inpatient palliative care. ⋯ This study identified the multiple sources of dissatisfaction with specialized inpatient palliative care for bereaved families. These findings could be useful in developing a more desirable system of specialised inpatient palliative care.
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Palliative medicine · Apr 2005
ReviewSubcutaneous administration of drugs in the elderly: survey of practice and systematic literature review.
Survey of subcutaneous drug use and hypodermoclysis with a standardized questionnaire to 27 nursing teams and 52 physicians in a geriatric hospital department (404 beds). Evaluation of license status (CH, F, D and UK) and systematic literature review of 34 drugs used in the geriatric setting. ⋯ There is a lack of information on drugs widely used by subcutaneous route in the elderly. In that context, physicians carry responsibility for the prescription.