Articles: palliative-care.
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Observational Study
Activities of daily living associated with postoperative intensive care unit survival in elderly patients following elective major abdominal surgery: An observational cohort study.
Elderly patients who undergo major abdominal surgery are being in increasing numbers. Intensive care unit (ICU) survival is critical for surgical decision-making process. Activities of daily living (ADL) are associated with clinical outcomes in the elderly. ⋯ The Barthel Index(BI) ≥30 was associated with increased postoperative ICU survival. For the elderly with better functional status, they could be given more surgery opportunities. For those elderly patients BI < 30, these results provide useful information for clinicians, patients and their families to make palliative care decisions.
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The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has significantly affected people at the end of life who are being cared for in community settings, as well as their families and the nurses who provide care. This article explores the challenges generated by the COVID-19 pandemic in relation to community end of life care in the UK and reflects on the psychological and emotional consequences for nurses, patients and families. It also discusses some of the fundamental aspects of end of life care in the community and explores how nursing interventions can be adapted to ensure that high standards of care are maintained. The pandemic may provide opportunities for transforming community end of life care and there is a need for further research into how health and social care services have adapted, which would inform future care planning and service provision.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Jun 2021
Observational StudyGrowth and Challenges in Hospital Palliative Cancer Care Services: An Analysis of Nationwide Surveys Over a Decade in Japan.
The development of palliative care services is a public health priority. The Japanese Cancer Control Act has been promoting palliative care services nationwide for over 10 years. ⋯ Hospital palliative cancer care services in designated cancer hospitals have developed significantly from 2008 to 2018. Building a system to promote palliative care services in community hospitals is a challenge for the next decade.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Jun 2021
Disability in basic activities of daily living is associated with symptom burden in older people with advanced cancer or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: A secondary data analysis.
Managing activities of daily living is important to people with advanced cancer or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Understanding disability in activities of daily living may inform service planning. ⋯ Disability in activities of daily living in advanced cancer or COPD is common, associated with increased symptom burden, and may be attenuated by use of assistive devices. Individual disability trajectories vary widely, with diverse disability profiles. Services should include rehabilitative interventions, guided by disability in individual activities of daily living.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Jun 2021
ReviewOperationalizing burdensome transitions among adults at the end of life: a scoping review.
Care transitions at the end of life are associated with reduced quality of life and negative health outcomes, yet up to half of patients in developed countries experience a transition within the last month of life. A variety of these transitions have been described as "burdensome" in the literature; however, there is currently no consensus on the definition of a burdensome transition. ⋯ Definitions of burdensome transitions varied based on time before death, setting of cohorts, and study population. These definitions can be helpful in identifying and subsequently preventing unnecessary transitions at the end of life.