Articles: palliative-care.
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Clinical studies have demonstrated that osteoarthritic pain is strongly linked to disability and quality of life. Pain relief enables patients to regain their mobility and is therefore a key goal in the management of osteoarthritis (OA). Osteoarthritis pain is of multifactorial origin, and inflammatory mechanisms play only a partial role. ⋯ However, the choice of analgesic treatment in OA must be highly individual. No guidelines can rigidly define a treatment regimen for such a condition as OA. Simple hints are given how to best use tramadol by selecting the right patients and choosing the right dosing strategy.
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Am J Hosp Palliat Care · Jan 2000
ReviewTizanidine in the management of spasticity and musculoskeletal complaints in the palliative care population.
Spasticity and other muscle symptoms in the palliative care patient can contribute to suffering, significantly detracting from overall quality of life. Current therapy primarily includes use of centrally acting muscle relaxants, which are beneficial in treating some symptoms, but frequently have extensive side effects, such as sedation and muscle weakness. ⋯ When taken at night, patients report improvement in getting to sleep and little drowsiness or "hangover sensation" upon waking. Tizanidine is potentially helpful to many palliative care patients with chronic muscle pain and sleep disturbances.
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The Hospice journal · Jan 2000
Physician attitudes toward palliative care at a community teaching hospital.
The goals of the study were to explore physicians' attitudes and opinions about palliative care and its implementation. Four focus groups composed of attending physicians were conducted by a professional facilitator at a community teaching hospital. ⋯ Problems they perceived were a lack of education for physicians, residents, other health care professionals, and the general public; a lack of hospital support systems to implement palliative care appropriately, and a lack of knowledge and support regarding legal considerations. They believed that a palliative care unit was a reasonable tool to overcome many obstacles to good end-of-life care.
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The overall aim of this study was to examine district nurses' (DNs') perceptions of palliative care services within the community setting. A questionnaire which focused on the key areas of defining palliative care, perception of roles, communication, service provision and the education and training needs of DNS was used. This was designed following a review of the literature and combined with data from phase one of the study (Vol 5(5): 215-222), which involved focus group interviews with DNs. ⋯ However, the supportive element of the DN's role was also identified alongside the potential role as coordinator. Palliative care service provision was considered adequate and the main services that nurses identified as useful related to the provision of 24-hour care. The main factors identified by nurses as influencing service provision related to organizational issues such as inadequate staffing levels, limited resources and a lack of time.