The American journal of hospice & palliative care
-
Am J Hosp Palliat Care · Nov 2013
Advance directives and do-not-resuscitate orders among patients with terminal cancer in palliative care units in Japan: a nationwide survey.
To examine the current status of advance directives (ADs) and do-not-resuscitate (DNR) orders among patients with terminal cancer in palliative care units (PCUs) in Japan. ⋯ These findings may reflect positive changes in patients' attitudes toward ADs, in Japan.
-
To develop a shorter and less burdensome cancer-related fatigue (CRF) questionnaire, the Four-Item Fatigue Scale (FIFS) was tested for validity against the Brief Fatigue Index (BFI). ⋯ Four-Item Fatigue Scale has concurrent validity for fatigue using the BFI. The FIFS and BFI correlated modestly over time. Certain ICD-10 items correlated with CRF severity depending on the questionnaire.
-
Am J Hosp Palliat Care · Nov 2013
Successful treatment by adding duloxetine to pregabalin for peripheral neuropathy induced by paclitaxel.
Although paclitaxel is a commonly used anticancer drug, peripheral neuropathy may develop as a side effect. Worsening of the symptoms with time may cause patients who receive paclitaxel to give up their chemotherapy. Duloxetine, a serotonin- and norepinephrine-reuptake inhibitor, has been used to treat peripheral neuropathic pain. ⋯ Under this paclitaxel treatment, he complained of severe peripheral neuropathy, leading to a diminished quality of life. Following treatment with a combination of duloxetine and pregabalin, a remission of his symptoms was achieved. Duloxetine plus pregabalin therapy may be useful for the peripheral neuropathy induced by paclitaxel.