MMW Fortschritte der Medizin
-
Nursing homes have taken on more and more the character of a hospice where palliative competence has significantly become more important. The aim of palliative treatment is not to heal but to control the symptoms during the final stage. ⋯ In addition to the pain, there are other symptoms such as nausea and emesis, dyspnoea, death rattle,fear, delirium and obstipation in the final stages of a disease which should be controlled very carefully. Not only patients suffering from cancer, but also very sick multimorbide patients and those suffering from dementia in geriatric environments will profit from palliative care.
-
In pain therapy we are repeatedly faced with the problem that the available treatment methods are inadequate. For years we have also been using botulinum toxin especially for myofascial pain and chronic headaches. ⋯ A final evaluation is not yet possible. Until the results of current studies are available, the use of botulinum toxin should be limited to clinical studies and to particular cases at specialized centres.