Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer
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Support Care Cancer · Jun 2005
The Supportive Care Task Force at the University of L'Aquila: 2-years experience.
The Supportive Care Task Force (SCTF) was established within the Medical Oncology Department at the University of L'Aquila in May 2002. The missions of the SCTF were to allow systematic evaluation and treatment of symptoms, to warrant continuity of care in all phases of disease and to provide medical oncology residents with training in the treatment of symptoms. A medical oncologist, two senior residents in medical oncology and a registered nurse comprised the SCTF. ⋯ We registered excellent results regarding the treatment of pain, nausea and dyspnea while psychological symptoms, anorexia and asthenia proved more difficult to treat. Two hundred twenty patients were discharged: 142 (49.8%) home; 76 (26.7%) to the Home Care Service and two (0.7%) to others units of the hospital. Sixty-five (22.8%) died in our unit.
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Support Care Cancer · May 2005
Incidence of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting in Taiwan: physicians' and nurses' estimation vs. patients' reported outcomes.
The major objective of the study was to determine the incidence and prevalence of acute and delayed chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) among patients receiving chemotherapy and assess the accuracy with which medical providers perceive the incidence of CINV in their practice. ⋯ Medical providers significantly overestimated the incidence of acute vomiting by 20% and 18% in HEC and MEC patients, respectively. While they correctly estimated the rate of delayed vomiting in HEC patients, they underestimated it by 16% in MEC patients. With respect to nausea, medical providers correctly estimated rates of both acute and delayed nausea in HEC patients, but significantly underestimated rates of acute and delayed nausea by 16% and 30%, respectively, in MEC patients.
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Support Care Cancer · May 2005
Comparative StudyPatients with haematological malignancies requiring invasive mechanical ventilation: differences between survivors and non-survivors in intensive care unit.
Mortality of patients with haematological malignancies requiring intensive therapy is high. We wanted to establish reasons for intensive care unit (ICU) admission and treatment as well as outcome in subjects who required invasive mechanical ventilation. We were also interested in differences between ICU survivors and non-survivors at the moment of admission. ⋯ Mortality of patients with haematological malignancies requiring intensive mechanical ventilation remains high. Scoring with the SAPS II system was a useful tool for determination of ICU mortality risk in those patients.
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Support Care Cancer · Apr 2005
Pain intensity assessment by bedside nurses and palliative care consultants: a retrospective study.
To evaluate the specificity, sensitivity, and accuracy of pain intensity assessments (0-10) conducted by registered nurses (RN) and clinical nurse assistants (CAN) as compared to those conducted by the palliative care consultant (PCC). ⋯ Lack of agreement between pain intensity assessments performed by the PCC and bedside nurse suggests possible inconsistencies in the way the assessments were performed. Better education on how to perform standard pain intensity assessment is needed.
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Support Care Cancer · Apr 2005
Comparative StudyWhat are cancer patients' preferences about treatment at the end of life, and who should start talking about it? A comparison with healthy people and medical staff.
In order to strengthen cancer patients' autonomy and to improve quality of palliative care, it is necessary to know what are the patients' preferences for treatment at the end of life, whether they accept the idea of advance directives, and who should initiate the process of fulfilling such a document. ⋯ Cancer patients' preferences for treatment at the end of life significantly differ compared to other groups. Oncologists should initiate a discussion about an advance directive when/if the course of the illness seems to make this appropriate, which corresponds to the wish of the majority of cancer patients, healthy controls, and medical staff.