Hospital practice (1995)
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Hospital practice (1995) · Mar 2020
Prescribers' experiences of, and attitudes to, use of morphine for palliative care at a tertiary hospital in Zambia.
To explore medical doctors' experiences of, and attitudes to, use of morphine for palliative care at a tertiary hospital in Zambia. ⋯ Although there is an increased willingness to prescribe morphine, limited knowledge of pain management, especially for nonmalignant disease, underlies many of the findings in this study. Opportunity exists for professional development in pain management to further improve the acceptance and use of opioids in palliative care, especially for out-patients.
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Delirium is a common and underdiagnosed problem in hospitalized older adults. It is associated with an increased risk of poor cognitive and functional outcomes, institutionalization, and death. Timely diagnosis of delirium and non-pharmacological prevention and management strategies can improve patient outcomes. ⋯ Despite a lack of evidence supporting use of antipsychotics, low dose antipsychotics remain second line for off-label treatment of distressing psychoses and/or agitated behaviors that are refractory to non-pharmacological behavioral interventions and pose an imminent risk of harm to self or others. Any antipsychotic prescription for delirium should be accompanied by an appropriate taper plan. Follow up with primary care providers on discharge from hospital for ongoing screening of cognitive impairment is important.
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The older population is expected to nearly double across the globe by 2050, and the baby boom cohort is expected to represent at least 20% of the US population by 2030. Geriatric patients will increasingly utilize the health-care system, and therefore surgical and perioperative care must be tailored to this sensitive group given the increased risk for perioperative complications. ⋯ Health-care providers should assess a geriatric patient's cognitive status, decision-making capacity, frailty, advance care planning, medications, and anesthetic approach in a multidisciplinary fashion to ensure optimal care. The risks of postoperative cardiac, pulmonary, and renal complications should be evaluated and optimized preoperatively to reduce the potential for adverse outcomes.