J Palliat Care
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The increasing attention on home-based service provision for end-of-life care has resulted in greater financial demands being placed on family caregivers. The purpose of this study was to assess publicly financed costs within a home-based setting from a societal perspective. ⋯ These findings warrant affording greater attention to policies and interventions intended to reduce the economic burden on palliative patients and their caregivers.
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Comparative Study
Comparing end-of-life care for hospitalized patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and lung cancer in Taiwan.
When it comes to end-of-life care, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients are often treated differently from lung cancer patients. However, few reports have compared end-of-life care between these two groups. We investigated the differences between patients with end-stage COPD and end-stage lung cancer based on end-of-life symptoms and clinical practice patterns using a retrospective study of COPD and lung cancer patients who died in an acute care hospital in Taiwan. ⋯ Differences in treatment management suggest that COPD patients receive more care aimed at prolonging life than care aimed at relieving symptoms and providing end-of-life support. It may be more difficult to determine when COPD patients are at the end-of-life stage than it is to identify when lung cancer patients are at that stage. Our findings indicate that in Taiwan, more effort should be made to give end-stage COPD patients the same access to hospice care as end-stage lung cancer patients.
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This retrospective chart review assessed the efficacy, dose, and safety of methotrimeprazine in palliating end-of-life symptoms in children and infants. ⋯ Methotrimeprazine, an old drug with diverse receptor activity and multiple routes of administration, appears to be an effective tool in treating complicated end-of-life symptoms in children and infants. This study provides a foundation for analysis with prospective and comparative trials, which may further quantify its benefit.