Palliative medicine
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Palliative medicine · Mar 1997
Clinical Trial Controlled Clinical TrialDysgraphia and terminal delirium.
Delirium is a frequently encountered clinical condition in palliative medicine, but it is often unrecognized and misdiagnosed. The cardinal sign of delirium is that of impaired consciousness. ⋯ The simple clinical task of a request to write 'name and address' revealed overt dysgraphic errors among delirious patients. This examination is clinically acceptable to hospice practice and may be an adequate and accurate bedside test of delirium.
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Palliative medicine · Mar 1997
The effects of the clinical characteristics of dying cancer patients on informal caregivers' satisfaction with palliative care.
To assess associations between informal caregivers' satisfaction with services delivered to their dying cancer patients and their perceptions of the duration of functional limitation and the duration of various symptoms experienced by these patients, a secondary analysis was conducted on a subsample of the Regional Study of Care for the Dying (RSCD). The RSCD is a retrospective interview survey of family members or others who knew about the last year of life of a random sample of people who died in 20 health districts in the UK in 1990. The subsample consisted of 1858 informal caregivers of people who died from cancer (ICD codes 140-208). ⋯ The results suggest the need to take patient clinical characteristics into account in population-based evaluations of palliative care. They also indicate the need for more research to be carried out to assess the reasons behind the dissatisfaction of informal caregivers of patients with respiratory or genito-urinary cancers with services provided by hospital doctors and to detect whether these patients have unmet needs that should be addressed. More research is also needed into the management of symptoms by the general practitioners, especially symptoms pertaining to respiration and incontinence.
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Palliative medicine · Jan 1997
Hospice and palliative care in the UK 1994-5, including a summary of trends 1990-5.
A survey of hospice and specialist palliative care services in the UK in the year 1994-5 was undertaken, enquiring about inpatient, home care and day care services. Over 500 questionnaires were sent out in June 1995 and replies were analysed by the Hospice Information Service. ⋯ The response rates to various parts of the questionnaire are tabulated and national estimates are made of the numbers of patients receiving palliative care from specialist providers. The survey is one in a series of annual surveys and the development of specialist palliative care services over the last five years is discussed.
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Palliative medicine · Jan 1997
Validity of the McGill Quality of Life Questionnaire in the palliative care setting: a multi-centre Canadian study demonstrating the importance of the existential domain.
This study was carried out in eight palliative care services in four Canadian cities. A revised version of The McGill Quality of Life Questionnaire (MQOL) is compared to a single-item scale measuring overall quality of life (SIS), and the self-administered version of the Spitzer Quality of Life Index (SA-QLI), to obtain evidence of validity. ⋯ The MQOL subscales, constructed on the basis of principal components analysis, demonstrate acceptable internal consistency reliability. The MQOL measures reflecting physical well-being and existential well-being are important for predicting SIS.
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Palliative medicine · Oct 1996
Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical TrialNon-pharmacological intervention for breathlessness in lung cancer.
To evaluate the effect of non-pharmacological intervention for breathlessness in lung cancer on breathlessness ratings and patient functioning. ⋯ Lung cancer patients suffering from breathlessness benefited from this rehabilitative approach to breathlessness management and strategies employed in this pilot study warrant further multicentre research. Macmillan nurses and palliative care teams are recommended to explore the potential of adopting similar approaches.