J Palliat Care
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Multicenter Study
Children dying from cancer: parents' perspectives on symptoms, quality of life, characteristics of death, and end-of-life decisions.
In this study, we investigated the experience of children who died of cancer, as perceived by their parents. All the pediatric oncology departments in one German federal state were contacted and asked to invite parents who had lost a child to cancer in the period 2005-2006 to participate. Those parents who accepted were interviewed by means of a semi-structured questionnaire. ⋯ In all, 64 percent of the children received home care services; 50 percent died at home, and only 10 percent in the ICU. Results suggest that some progress has been made in pediatric palliative care. To further improve end-of-life care for children with cancer, it is also necessary to evaluate parents' perspectives on structures for pediatric palliative care delivery.
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In Poland, medical curricula cover palliative care for adults, not for children. This paper evaluates feedback of students who participated in a pilot pediatric palliative care education program. ⋯ The pediatric palliative care education program was feasible, and it was well received by the students who undertook it.
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To analyze, from the parents' point of view, the effects of respite services offered at a children's hospice, the Maison André-Gratton. ⋯ Two characteristics of the respite program contribute to the positive effects of respite on families--the high quality of the care offered by a qualified staff, and the adequate length of respite stays.
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Paramedics play an important role in out-of-hospital health care. They provide unscheduled care, assisting both patients with minor injuries and those experiencing life-threatening emergencies. ⋯ However, paramedics may not be well prepared to offer palliative care, as practice guidelines and education tend to focus on the management of acute medical emergencies and major trauma. Emergency medical services that employ paramedics rarely have practice guidelines or protocols that deal specifically with palliative care.
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Biography Historical Article
John Keats and Wilfred Owen--mortality, mystery, and the pursuit of truth: lessons for palliative care.