Articles: palliative-care.
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The timely integration of palliative care is important for patients suffering from various advanced diseases with limited prognosis. While a German S-3-guideline on palliative care exists for patients with incurable cancer, a recommendation for non-oncological patients and especially for integration of palliative care into intensive care medicine is missing to date. ⋯ The timely integration of palliative care into intensive care medicine aims to improve quality of life and symptom control and also takes into acccount the often urgently needed support for patients' highly stressed relatives.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Sep 2023
Real world experience of change in psycho-existential symptoms in palliative care.
Psycho-existential symptoms in palliative care are addressed insufficiently. Routine screening, ongoing monitoring and meaningful treatment of psycho-existential symptoms may contribute to the relief of suffering in palliative care. ⋯ As we better recognize through screening patients carrying psycho-existential distress in palliative care programs, there is considerable room for improvement in ameliorating this suffering. Inadequate clinical skills, poor psychosocial staffing or a biomedical program culture may all contribute to inadequate symptom control. Person-centered care necessitates greater attention to authentic multidisciplinary care that ameliorates psycho-spiritual and existential distress.
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Clinical Trial
Palliation of Dyspnea with Mouthpiece Ventilation in Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: A Pilot Feasibility Study.
Background: Mouthpiece ventilation (MPV) reduces hypoventilation, but its efficacy in relieving dyspnea in patients with acute chronic obstructive pulmonary disease exacerbation (AECOPD) is unclear. Objective: To assess the feasibility of MPV in relieving dyspnea among patients with AECOPD. Methods: In this prospective single-arm pilot study, the change in dyspnea on numeric rating scale (NRS) after using MPV and side effects of the treatment were studied in 18 patients with AECOPD. ⋯ Of the patients, 61% found MPV beneficial. The use of MPV did not increase the sense of anxiety or pain. Conclusions: MPV is feasible and may relieve dyspnea in patients with AECOPD, but the intervention needs further evaluation. clinicaltrials.gov study number: NCT03025425.