Journal of palliative medicine
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Uremic pruritus is a common and distressing symptom occurring in 42% to 75% of end-stage renal dialysis (ESRD) patients, even in patients who are adequately dialyzed. ⋯ Study results showed that low-dose sertraline was effective for antihistamine-refractory uremic pruritus in renal palliative care patients. Further placebo-blinded randomized-controlled studies are warranted to clarify our findings.
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Little is known about what patients and physicians value in end-of-life care, or how these groups would craft a health plan for those with advanced cancer. ⋯ Otolaryngology physicians have significantly different values in end-of-life care than cancer patients and their caregivers. This information is important for efficient allocation of scarce Medicare resources and for effective end-of-life discussions, both of which are key for developing appropriate health policy.
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While palliative care is becoming more important in today's health system, the major barrier to improving the quality of palliative care appears to be health professionals' lack of knowledge. The objective of this study is to evaluate medical students' knowledge on palliative care and their views on palliative care in clinical practice. ⋯ It was observed that medical students trained to become tomorrow's physicians had inadequate knowledge on palliative care; the curriculum had a shortfall on this subject; and health professionals did not pay attention to this subject in clinical practice. The results of our study will provide guidance in preparing the curricula of health professionals and in planning the subjects of postgraduate education.