Annals of palliative medicine
-
Data on the clinical characteristics of delayed treatment initiation among pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) patients are lacking. Thus, this study aimed to identify the factors associated with delayed treatment in culture-confirmed pulmonary TB and to assess outcomes of delayed treatment. ⋯ Given that delayed treatment is associated with worse outcomes in South Korea, targeted interventions to increase awareness on TB in the healthcare community are necessary for additional mycobacterial tests and consults of suspicious patients to TB specialists.
-
On 19 June 2019 the Voluntary Assisted Dying Act 2017 (Vic) came into effect, making Victoria the first state in Australia to permit the practice of 'voluntary assisted dying'. As defined in the legislation, voluntary assisted dying refers to "the administration of a voluntary assisted dying substance and includes steps reasonably related to such administration", "for the purpose of causing a person's death". ⋯ While there is somewhat limited information available regarding the practice of voluntary assisted dying in Victoria, available data and anecdotal reports indicate the implementation of the state's complex model of voluntary assisted dying has not been without challenges, particularly in terms of balancing the legislated 'safeguards' and patient access to voluntary assisted dying, and translating aspects of the complex legislation into clinical practice. The release of more systematic voluntary assisted dying data by the state, alongside independent research into the operation of voluntary assisted dying, is necessary to better evaluate the implementation and impact of voluntary assisted dying as a new component of clinical practice.
-
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-Cov-2) is the causative agent of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Lung lesions are considered to be the main damage caused by SARSCoV-2 infection. In addition, liver injury has also been reported to occur during the course of the disease in severe cases. However, the effect of antiviral treatment on liver injury in critically ill patients is not yet clear. ⋯ Our results show that although arbidol treatment does not seem to be significantly associated with liver injury complications, the overall use of antiviral drugs increases the risk of liver injury for critically ill patients with COVID-19. Antiviral drugs are widely used to treat COVID-19, but we recommend that for critically ill patients, antiviral treatment should be used with caution considering both effectiveness and potential adverse effects.
-
An increasing number of jurisdictions around the world are legalizing assisted dying. This creates a particular challenge for the field of palliative care, which often precludes producing premature death by the injection or self-administration of lethal medications upon a patient's voluntary request. A 2019 systematic scoping review of the literature about the relationship between palliative care and assisted dying in contexts where assisted dying is lawful, found just 16 relevant studies that included varied and combined stances ranging from complete opposition, to collaboration and integration. Building on that review, the present study was conducted in Quebec (Canada), Flanders (Belgium), and Oregon (USA), with the objective of exploring the relationship between palliative care and assisted dying in these settings, from the perspective of clinicians and other professionals involved in the practice. ⋯ No clear and uniform relationship between palliative care and assisted dying can be identified in any of the three locations. The context and practicalities of how assisted dying is being implemented alongside access to palliative care need to be considered to inform future laws. We seek a better understanding of whether and in what ways assisted dying presents a threat to palliative care.
-
Hypoxaemia in post-surgical patients of esophageal cancer (EC) is common in thoracic departments. However, few studies have investigated the role of high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) compared with conventional oxygen therapy (COT). ⋯ HFNC can improve the hypoxemia of patients after esophagectomy, increase the flow of sputum, reduce the incidence of PPC and anastomotic leakage.