Journal of palliative medicine
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There is a paucity of information related to teaching palliative care to entry-level physical therapy students. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of an undergraduate course in palliative care on the preparedness of entry-level physical therapy students to practice within the palliative care setting. ⋯ Participation in the course resulted in an increase in self-rated knowledge and confidence for working in the palliative care setting for entry-level physical therapy students and is considered to provide a useful ongoing resource for the presentation of this topic material. Although the impact of the delivery of this education module may be considered successful in this regard, it would appear that some of the underlying attitudes and emotional responses to this area of physiotherapy practice were less easily influenced. Further research is required to understand the influences on emotional preparedness of students to undertake this area of study and practice and to determine the optimal stage of study for delivery of this content.
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Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death.(1) Accurate prediction of survival in the terminal stage is important, because it may help patients make a rational decision. Although several prognostic scores have been described as effective indicators of outcome, these scores were intended for patients with other types of cancers. There is no prognostic score for patients with terminal-stage lung cancer. ⋯ This study revealed that fatigue, anorexia, desaturation, hyponatremia, and hypoalbuminemia may be short-term prognostic factors in terminally ill lung cancer patients. In particular, the presence of more than three of these factors predicted death within two weeks.