Articles: palliative-care.
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The need to treat dehydration in terminally ill patients has become a very controversial topic. Numerous reports in the literature illustrate opposing view-points from both clinical and ethical perspectives. Arguments for the maintenance of hydration in terminally ill patients have tended to come from "the traditional medical model". ⋯ This review presents a summary of the traditional arguments, a different perspective on the controversy, biochemical parameters reported in terminally ill cancer patients, recent dehydration research, and the use of hypodermoclysis and rectal hydration. We conclude that the data reported to date are insufficient to allow a final conclusion on the benefit or harm of dehydration in terminally ill patients. Nevertheless, it is worth considering that while some dying patients may not suffer any ill effects from dehydration, there may be others who do manifest symptoms, such as confusion or opioid toxicity, that might be alleviated or prevented by parenteral hydration.
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J. Am. Coll. Cardiol. · May 1997
Outcomes after bidirectional cavopulmonary shunt in infants less than 6 months old.
We sought to assess the results after bidirectional cavopulmonary shunt (BCPS) in infants < 6 months old and to identify risk factors for poor outcome. ⋯ Outcomes after BCPS in young infants are comparable to those in older infants and children. However, our current preference is to defer this procedure until after 2 months of age.
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Lijec̆nic̆ki vjesnik · May 1997
Case Reports[Treatment of malignant bile duct obstruction with a metal stent. Case report].
In the case report we describe endoscopic implantation of endoprosthesis in the periampullar area in a 87 year old female patient with obstructive jaundice and cholangitis caused by pancreatic tumour. This is the first time that this procedure was successfully performed in Croatia.