Thursday 31 December 2009

BMJ 22 Dec 2009

Doctors’ view of care pathway for dying patients clashes with audit findings
Zosia Kmietowicz
BMJ 2009;339 b3799

International Journal of Palliative Nursing Vol 15 No 11 2009

p. 523
Finding meaning in distress.
Smyth, D.
pp. 524-525
Conducting research in palliative care patients: a burden or an opportunity?.
Preston, N.; Payne, S.; Todd, C.
pp. 526-532
The role of the home-care worker in palliative and end-of-life care in the community setting: a literature review.
Devlin, M.; McIlfatrick, S.
pp. 533-540
Methylnaltrexone: a subcutaneous treatment for opioid-induced constipation in palliative care patients.
Kyle, G.
pp. 541-547
To find inner peace: soft massage as an established and integrated part of palliative care.
Beck, I.; Runeson, I.; Blomqvist, K.
pp. 548-553
Making decisions about care: what it means for hospice inpatients with terminal progressive disease.
Fisher, S.; Colyer, H.
pp. 554-561
Evaluation of the introduction of an advanced care plan into multiple palliative care settings.
Newton, J.; Clark, R.; Ahlquist, P.
pp. 562-565
Supporting cancer patients and their carers: the contribution of art therapy and clinical psychology.
Jones, G.; Browning, M.

Cases Journal 23 Dec 2009

Morphine-induced hallucinations - resolution with switching to oxycodone: a case report and review of the literature
Mursheda Mahbub Chowdhury, Richard Board
Cases Journal 2009, 2:9391 (23 December 2009)
Provisional PDF http://www.casesjournal.com/content/pdf/1757-1626-2-9391.pdf

BMC Palliative Care

BMC Palliative Care http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmcpalliatcare/
==============================================================
GPs views on transfer of information about terminally ill patients to the out-of-hours co-operative.
Bart Schweitzer, Nettie Blankenstein, Maartje Willekens, Elmi Terpstra, Paul Giesen, Luc Deliens
BMC Palliative Care 2009, 8:19 (22 December 2009)
Provisional PDF http://www.biomedcentral.com/content/pdf/1472-684X-8-19.pdf

Associations between successful palliative cancer pathways and community nurse involvement
Mette Asbjoern Neergaard, Peter Vedsted, Frede Olesen, Ineta Sokolowski, Anders Bonde Jensen, Jens Sondergaard
BMC Palliative Care 2009, 8:18 (14 December 2009)
Provisional PDF http://www.biomedcentral.com/content/pdf/1472-684X-8-18.pdf

Out-of-hours palliative care provided by GP co-operatives: availability, content and effect of transferred information
Bart PM Schweitzer, Nettie Blankenstein, Luc Deliens, Henriette Horst
BMC Palliative Care 2009, 8:17 (28 November 2009)
PDF http://www.biomedcentral.com/content/pdf/1472-684X-8-17.pdf

Friday 4 December 2009

BMJ 1st Dec 2009

End of life care in the acute hospital setting
Polly Edmonds, Rachel Burman, and Wendy Prentice
BMJ 2009;339 b5048

New interim guidance on assisted suicide
Richard Huxtable and Karen Forbes
BMJ 2009;339 b4900

Cases Journal Nov 2009

Chemotherapy with low-dose capecitabine as palliative treatment in a patient with metastatic breast cancer: a case report
Takashi Kawaguchi, Satoru Iwase, Hironori Takeuchi, Ayako Ikeda, Yujiro Kuroda, Naoko Sakata, Megumi Umeda, Kaori Kobara, Tadaharu Matsunaga, Sakae Unezaki, Yoshinori Nagumo
Cases Journal 2009, 2:9081 (24 November 2009)
http://www.casesjournal.com/content/pdf/1757-1626-2-9081.pdf

BMC Palliative Care 3 Nov 2009

Unbearability of suffering at the end of life: the development of a new measuring device, the SOS-V
Kees DM Ruijs, Bregje D Onwuteaka-Philipsen, Gerrit van der Wal, Ad JFM Kerkhof
BMC Palliative Care 2009, 8:16 (3 November 2009)
http://www.biomedcentral.com/content/pdf/1472-684X-8-16.pdf

Palliative & Supportive Care Vol 7 No 3 2009

pp. 269-270
The Congress of Vienna.
Breitbart, W.
pp. 271-280
Reappraisal in the eighth life cycle stage: A theoretical psychoeducational intervention in elderly patients with cancer.
Holland, J.; Poppito, S.; Nelson, C.; Weiss, T.; Greenstein, M.; Martin, A.; Thirakul, P.; Roth, A.
pp. 281-288
Adjusting to pancreatic cancer: Perspectives from first-degree relatives.
Petrin, K.; Bowen, D.J.; Alfano, C.M.; Bennett, R.
pp. 289-298
Quality of life measures (EORTC QLQ-C30 and SF-36) as predictors of survival in palliative colorectal and lung cancer patients.
Grande, G.E.; Farquhar, M.C.; Barclay, S.I.G.; Todd, C.J.
pp. 299-306
Associations with worry about dying and hopelessness in ambulatory ovarian cancer patients.
Shinn, E.H.; Taylor, C.L.C.; Kilgore, K.; Valentine, A.; Bodurka, D.C.; Kavanagh, J.; Sood, A.; Li, Y.; Basen-Engquist, K.
pp. 307-314
The psychological responses of outpatient breast cancer patients before and during first medical consultation.
Okazaki, S.; Iwamitsu, Y.; Masaru, K.; Todoroki, K.; Suzuki, S.; Yamamoto, K.; Hagino, M.; Watanabe, M.; Miyaoka, H.
pp. 315-322
Development and validation of the Family Decision-Making Self-Efficacy Scale.
Nolan, M.T.; Hughes, M.T.; Kub, J.; Terry, P.B.; Astrow, A.; Thompson, R.E.; Clawson, L.; Texeira, K.; Sulmasy, D.P.
pp. 323-330
Validation of the Demoralization Scale in an Irish advanced cancer sample.
Mullane, M.; Dooley, B.; Tiernan, E.; Bates, U.
pp. 331-338
Attitudes of Quebec doctors toward sedation at the end of life: An exploratory study.
Blondeau, D.; Dumont, S.; Roy, L.; Martineau, I.
pp. 339-348
Perspectives on palliative care in Lebanon: Knowledge, attitudes, and practices of medical and nursing specialties.
Huijer, H.A.-S.; Dimassi, H.; Abboud, S.
pp. 349-356
International comparison study on the primary concerns of terminally ill cancer patients in short-term life review interviews among Japanese, Koreans, and Americans.
Ando, M.; Morita, T.; Ahn, S.-H.; Marquez-Wong, F.; Ide, S.
pp. 357-364
Providing care and sharing expertise: Reflections of nurse-specialists in palliative home care.
Arnaert, A.; Wainwright, M.
pp. 365-378
Hope in palliative care: An integrative review.
Kylma, J.; Duggleby, W.; Cooper, D.; Molander, G.

Tuesday 10 November 2009

Palliative Medicine Vol 23 No 7 2009

Link to journal online
pp. 577-580
Palliative sedation: welcome guidance on a controversial issue.
Hauser, K.; Walsh, D.
pp. 581-593
European Association for Palliative Care (EAPC) recommended framework for the use of sedation in palliative care.
Cherny, N.I.; Radbruch, L.; The Board of the European Association for Palliative Care
pp. 594-600
What do patients with brain metastases from non-small cell lung cancer want from their treatment?.
Dorman, S.; Hayes, J.; Pease, N.
pp. 601-607
Improving training in spiritual care: a qualitative study exploring patient perceptions of professional educational requirements.
Yardley, S.J.; Walshe, C.E.; Parr, A.
pp. 608-615
Physician factors associated with outpatient palliative care referral.
Ahluwalia, S.C.; Fried, T.R.

International Journal of Palliative Nursing Vol 15 No 10 2009

p. 471
Editorial: Listening to that still small voice.
Larkin, P.
pp. 472-473
How notorious do dying prisoners need to be to receive high quality end-of-life care?.
Turner, M.; Barbarachild, Z.; Kidd, H.; Payne, S.
pp. 474-480
Understanding lymphoedema in advanced disease in a palliative care setting.
Todd, M.
pp. 481-487
Implementation and evaluation of a palliative care resource scheme within a district general hospital.
Rees, Y.; Jones, S.; Parry, M.
pp. 488-498
Flemish palliative care nurses' attitudes toward euthanasia: a quantitative study.
Gielen, J.; van den Branden, S.; van Iersel, T.; Broeckaert, B.
pp. 499-509
Learning from each other: cross-cultural insights on palliative care in Indian and Australian regions.
McGrath, P.; Holewa, H.; Koilparampil, T.; Koshy, C.; George, S.
pp. 510-514
Using play therapy in paediatric palliative care: listening to the story and caring for the body.
van Breemen, C.

International Journal of Palliative Nursing Vol 15 No 9 2009

p. 419
Education in the spotlight.
Becker, B.
pp. 420-421
The Liverpool Care Pathway.
Chapman, S.; Aldridge, H.
pp. 422-431
A description and comparison of palliative care services in the United Kingdom and Czech Republic.
Svecova, K.
pp. 432-439
Paediatric nurses' knowledge of palliative care in Florida: A quantitative study.
Knapp, C.A.; Madden, V.; Wang, H.; Kassing, K.; Curtis, C.; Sloyer, P.; Shenkman, E.A.
pp. 440-445
A multicultural perspective on conducting palliative care research in an Indian population in Australia.
Shanmugasundaram, S.; O Connor, M.; Sellick, K.
pp. 446-455
An analysis of the palliative care education needs of RGNs and HCAs in nursing homes in Ireland.
McDonnell, M.M.; McGuigan, E.; McElhinney, J.; McTeggart, M.; McClure, D.
pp. 456-462
The human face behind an ethical dilemma: Reflecting on attempted suicide and outcomes of a case study.
Sneesby, L.

The New England Journal of Medicine Oct 15 2009

Dialysis in Frail Elders -- A Role for Palliative Care [editorial]
R.M. Arnold and M.L. Zeidel
http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/short/361/16/1597?query=TOC

Monday 9 November 2009

BMJ 22 Sep 2009

Consultation opens on guidance for prosecuting in cases of assisted dying
Clare Dyer
BMJ 2009;339 b3909

Doctors’ view of care pathway for dying patients clashes with audit findings
Zosia Kmietowicz
BMJ 2009;339 b3799

Palliative Medicine Vol 23 No 6 2009

Link to journal online
pp. 482-490
Methodological review: measured and reported congruence between preferred and actual place of death.
Bell, C.L.; Somogyi-Zalud, E.; Masaki, K.H.
pp. 491-501
Symptoms and problems in a nationally representative sample of advanced cancer patients.
Johnsen, A.T.; Petersen, M.A.; Pedersen, L.; Groenvold, M.
pp. 502-511
An evaluation of the implementation of a programme to improve end-of-life care in nursing homes.
Badger, F.; Clifford, C.; Hewison, A.; Thomas, K.
pp. 512-517
An integrated model of provision of palliative care to patients with cystic fibrosis.
Bourke, S.J.; Doe, S.J.; Gascoigne, A.D.; Heslop, K.; Fields, M.; Reynolds, D.; Mannix, K.
pp. 518-525
An evaluation of two decision-making scales for children with life-limiting illnesses.
Knapp, C.; Huang, I.C.; Madden, V.; Vadaparampil, S.; Quinn, G.; Shenkman, E.
pp. 526-536
The supportive and palliative care needs of Australian families of children who die from cancer.
Monterosso, L.; Kristjanson, L.J.; Phillips, M.B.
pp. 537-544
"We will remember them'': a mixed-method study to explore which post-funeral remembrance activities are most significant and important to bereaved people living with loss, and why those particular activities are chosen.
Vale-Taylor, P.
pp. 545-548
Are end-of-life patient education materials readable?
Ache, K.A.; Wallace, L.S.
pp. 549-555
'They're part of the team': participant evaluation of the ACTIVE intervention.
Oliver, D.P.; Washington, K.T.; Wittenberg-Lyles, E.; Demiris, G.; Porock, D.
pp. 556-564
The use of artificial nutrition among cancer patients enrolled in palliative home care services.
Orrevall, Y.; Tishelman, C.; Permert, J.; Cederholm, T.
pp. 565-566
End-of-life decisions in the United Kingdom.
van der Heide, A.; Onwuteaka-Philipsen, B.; Deliens, L. et al
pp. 567-568
End-of-life decisions in the UK: a response to van der Heide and colleagues.
Seale, C.
p. 569
End-of-life decisions in the United Kingdom involving medical practitioners and legalisation of euthanasia or physician-assisted suicide: survey of doctors' attitudes.
Grogan, E.; Beattie, R.; Campbell, C.; George, R.; Harlow, T.; MacGregor, B. et al
p. 570
UK doctors' attitudes to the legalisation of assisted suicide.
Lee, W.; Price, A.; Rayner, L.; Hotopf, M.
pp. 571-572
Liverpool care pathway carers survey.
Mullick, A.; Beynon, T.; Colvin, M.; Morris, M.; Shepherd, L.; Cave, L.; Lowell, J.; Asmall, N.; Carey, I.

BMC Palliative Care

Balloon kyphoplasty in malignant spinal fractures: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Carmen Bouza, Teresa Lopez-Cuadrado, Patricia Cediel, Zuleika Saz-Parkinson, Jose Maria Amate
BMC Palliative Care 2009, 8:12 (9 September 2009)
Abstract http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-684X/8/12/abstract
Provisional PDF http://www.biomedcentral.com/content/pdf/1472-684X-8-12.pdf


Palliative care for HIV in the era of antiretroviral therapy availability: perspectives of nurses in Lesotho
Megan E Kell, John D Walley
BMC Palliative Care 2009, 8:11 (15 August 2009)
Abstract http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-684X/8/11/abstract
PDF http://www.biomedcentral.com/content/pdf/1472-684X-8-11.pdf

Visioning for secondary palliative care service hubs in rural communities: a qualitative case study from British Columbia's interior
Valorie A Crooks, Heather Castleden, Nadine Schuurman, Neil Hanlon
BMC Palliative Care 2009, 8:15 (9 October 2009)
Abstract http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-684X/8/15/abstract
Provisional PDF http://www.biomedcentral.com/content/pdf/1472-684X-8-15.pdf

An open-label, 1-year extension study of the long-term safety and efficacy of once-daily OROS« hydromorphone in patients with chronic cancer pain
Magdi Hanna, Alberto Tuca, John Thipphawong
BMC Palliative Care 2009, 8:14 (15 September 2009)
Abstract http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-684X/8/14/abstract
PDF http://www.biomedcentral.com/content/pdf/1472-684X-8-14.pdf

GP and nurses' perceptions of how after hours care for people receiving palliative care at home could be improved: a mixed methods study
Heather M Tan, Margaret M O'Connor, Gail Miles, Britt Klein, Peter Schattner
BMC Palliative Care 2009, 8:13 (14 September 2009)
Abstract http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-684X/8/13/abstract
PDF http://www.biomedcentral.com/content/pdf/1472-684X-8-13.pdf

International Journal of Palliative Nursing Vol 15 No 8 2009

p. 367
Advocating palliative nursing.
Downing, J.
pp. 368-371
Extending knowledge of terror management theory to improve palliative nursing practice.
Stevens, E.
pp. 372-376
Evaluating the use of the Cleo 90 infusion set for patients on a palliative care unit.
Schneider, M.; Hoffmann, M.; Lorenzl, S.
pp. 377-383
A review of paediatric palliative care in nursing education in Latin America.
Bishop, K.; Mele, N.; Koppmann, M.J.E.; Day, S.
pp. 384-388
The implementation of an end-of-life integrated care pathway in a Chinese population.
Lo, S.-H.; Chan, C.-Y.; Chan, C.-H.; Sze, W.-k. et al
pp. 389-395
Palliative respite services using nursing staff reduces hospitalization of patients and improves acceptance among carers.
Barrett, M.; Wheatland, B.; Haselby, P.; Larson, A.; Kristjanson, L.; Whyatt, D.
pp. 396-404
Enteral tube feeding in older people with advanced dementia: Findings from a Cochrane systematic review.
Candy, B.; Sampson, E.L.; Jones, L.
pp. 405-411
Core attitudes of professionals in palliative care: A qualitative study.
Simon, S.T.; Ramsenthaler, C.; Bausewein, C.; Krischke, N.; Geiss, G.

Wednesday 9 September 2009

End of Life Care Horizon Scanning Bulletin

The Volume 1 Issue 7 End of Life Care Horizon Scanning Bulletin has now been published at http://palliativecarenwpctl.wordpress.com/
Please disseminate to anyone who may be interested.
To subscribe to future issues of the newsletter, visit http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify?uri=PalliativeCareHorizonScanning&loc=en_US and input your email address and the verification code.

Gastrointestinal symptoms in supportive and palliative care

Annual Evidence Update on Gastrointestinal symptoms in supportive and palliative care (NHS Evidence - supportive and palliative care)
www.library.nhs.uk/palliative
The second supportive and palliative care Annual Evidence Update on symptom management in gastroenterology collects together the latest high quality evidence on 3 topics:
* Mouth care
* Diarrhoea
* Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) feeding

BMJ 3rd August 2009

End of life decisions and quality of care before death [Editorial]
Ira Byock
BMJ 2009;339 b2730

Euthanasia and other end of life decisions and care provided in final three months of life: nationwide retrospective study in Belgium
Lieve Van den Block, Reginald Deschepper, Johan Bilsen, Nathalie Bossuyt, Viviane Van Casteren, and Luc Deliens
BMJ 2009;339 b2772

Palliative cancer care - malignant ulcer

Palliative cancer care - malignant ulcer
http://www.cks.nhs.uk/palliative_cancer_care_malignant_ulcer
Clinical Knowledge Summaries (Prodigy)

Palliative & Supportive Care Vol 7 No 2 2009

pp. 139-142
The spiritual domain of palliative care: Who should be ``spiritual care professionals''?.
Breitbart, W.
pp. 143-152
Challenges of illness in metastatic breast cancer: A low-income African American perspective.
Rosenzweig, M.Q.; Wiehagen, T.; Brufsky, A.; Arnold, R.
pp. 153-162
Caring for a person in advanced illness and suffering from breathlessness at home: Threats and resources.
Gysels, M.H.; Higginson, I.J.
pp. 163-170
Techniques for framing questions in conducting family meetings in palliative care.
Dumont, I.; Kissane, D.
pp. 171-180
Conducting family meetings in palliative care: Themes, techniques, and preliminary evaluation of a communication skills module.
Gueguen, J.A.; Bylund, C.L.; Brown, R.F.; Levin, T.T.; Kissane, D.W.
pp. 181-186
Patients' views on decision making in advanced cancer.
Philip, J.; Gold, M.; Schwarz, M.; Komesaroff, P.
pp. 187-196
Strength through adversity: Bereaved cancer carers' accounts of rewards and personal growth from caring.
Wong, W.K.T.; Ussher, J.
pp. 197-206
A feasibility study of a two-session home-based cognitive behavioral therapy-insomnia intervention for bereaved family caregivers.
Carter, P.A.; Mikan, S.Q.; Simpson, C.
pp. 207-212
Fatigue in relatives of palliative patients.
Carlsson, M.E.
pp. 213-217
Using the differential from complete blood counts as a biomarker of fatigue in advanced non-small-cell lung cancer: An exploratory analysis.
Paddison, J.S.; Temel, J.S.; Fricchione, G.L.; Pirl, W.F.
pp. 218-228
Effect of music therapy on oncologic staff bystanders: A substantive grounded theory.
O callaghan, C.; Magill, L.
pp. 229-234
Cancer patients' reluctance to discuss psychological distress with their physicians was not associated with underrecognition of depression by physicians: A preliminary study.
Okuyama, T.; Endo, C.; Seto, T.; Kato, M.; Seki, N. et al
pp. 235-244
Palliative care: A need for a family systems approach.
Mehta, A.; Cohen, S.R.; Chan, L.S.
pp. 245-252
Staff grief and support systems for Japanese health care professionals working in palliative care.
Shimoinaba, K.; O connor, M.; Lee, S.; Greaves, J.
pp. 253-256
When cancerophobia and denial lead to death.
Reich, M.; Gaudron, C.; Penel, N.

BMC Palliative Care

"Good idea but not feasible" - the views of decision makers and stakeholders towards strategies for better palliative care in Germany: a representative survey
Sara L Lueckmann, Mareike Behmann, Susanne Bisson, Nils Schneider
BMC Palliative Care 2009, 8:10 (22 July 2009)
Provisional PDF http://www.biomedcentral.com/content/pdf/1472-684X-8-10.pdf

The feasibility of a single-blinded fast-track pragmatic randomised controlled trial of a complex intervention for breathlessness in advanced disease.
Morag C Farquhar, Irene J Higginson, Petrea Fagan, Sara Booth
BMC Palliative Care 2009, 8:9 (7 July 2009)
Provisional PDF http://www.biomedcentral.com/content/pdf/1472-684X-8-9.pdf


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Publish your next article with BMC Palliative Care http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmcpalliatcare/

Palliative Medicine Vol 23 No 5 2009

Link to journal online
pp. 385-387
Suffering and healing - our core business.
George, R.
pp. 388-397
On dying and human suffering.
Kellehear, A.
pp. 398-405
Prioritisation of future research topics for children's hospice care by its key stakeholders: a Delphi study.
Malcolm, C.; Knighting, K.; Forbat, L.; Kearney, N.
pp. 406-409
Assessment of iron status and the role for iron-replacement therapy in anaemic cancer patients under the care of a specialist palliative care unit.
Robertson, K.A.; Hutchison, S.M.W.
pp. 410-417
Deciding about continuous deep sedation: physicians' perspectives. A focus group study.
Rietjens, J.A.C.; Buiting, H.M.; Pasman, H.R.W. et al
pp. 418-424
Paediatricians' perceptions on referrals to paediatric palliative care.
Knapp, C.; Thompson, L.; Madden, V.; Shenkman, E.
pp. 425-431
Multiple sources: mapping the literature of palliative care.
Tieman, J.J.; Sladek, R.M.; Currow, D.C.
pp. 432-440
Characteristics and implications of attrition in health-related quality of life studies in palliative care.
Ahlner-Elmqvist, M.; Bjordal, K.; Jordhoy, M.S.; Kaasa, S.; Jannert, M.
pp. 441-447
Palliative day care - a study of well-being and health-related quality of life.
Sviden, G.A.; Furst, C.J.; von Koch, L.; Borell, L.
pp. 448-459
Resource utilisation and costs of palliative cancer care in an interdisciplinary health care model.
Johnson, A.P.; Abernathy, T.; Howell, D.; Brazil, K.; Scott, S.
pp. 460-470
Hospital staff attributions of the causes of physician variation in end-of-life treatment intensity.
Larochelle, M.R.; Rodriguez, K.L.; Arnold, R.M.; Barnato, A.E.
pp. 471-472
An unusual cause of insomnia.
Dando, N.; England, S.; Ford-Dunn, S.
pp. 473-475
The use of thalidomide in the management of bleeding from a gastric cancer.
Lambert, K.; Ward, J.

Monday 17 August 2009

New book in the Library

Death and dying : a reader editied by Sarah Earle, Carol Komaromy and Caroline Bartholomew
Shelved at 362.175 EAR

Friday 24 July 2009

BMJ 20 July 2009

Let’s talk about assisted dying [Editorial]
Fiona Godlee
BMJ 2009;339 b2883

Cancer targets not as rational as testing
Edward Fitzsimons and Heather Wotherspoon
BMJ 2009;339 b2815

Exploring preferences for place of death with terminally ill patients: qualitative study of experiences of general practitioners and community nurses in England
Daniel Munday, Mila Petrova, and Jeremy Dale
BMJ 2009;339 b2391

Articles from Critical Care Medicine Aug 2009

Link to journal online
Manthous, Constantine A. MD
Flawed assumptions surround concept of physician-assisted death. [Letter]
Critical Care Medicine. 37(8):2495-2496, August 2009.

Al-Khafaji, Ali
Making palliative care more "palatable". [Letter]
Critical Care Medicine. 37(8):2492, August 2009.

International Journal of Palliative Nursing Vol 15 No 6 2009

p. 263
Spirituality: What do we mean?.
Costello, J.
pp. 264-265
Understanding the key areas of clinical decision making at the end of life.
Simon, A.
pp. 266-271
Experiences of 24-hour advice line services: A framework for good practice and meeting NICE guidelines.
Yardley, S.J.; Codling, J.; Roberts, D.; O Donnell, V.; Taylor, S.
pp. 272-275
Pre-morbid skin changes in patients with cancer: Using `Welam's sign' as a new prognostic marker?.
McKeown, A.; Davidson, J.; Adam, J.; Welsh, J.
pp. 276-281
Disclosing bad news to patients with life-threatening illness: Differences in attitude between physicians and nurses in Israel.
Natan, M.B.; Shahar, I.; Garfinkel, D.
pp. 282-289
Understanding the concept of a `good death' in Japan: Differences in the views of doctors, palliative and non-palliative ward nurses.
Murakawa, Y.; Nihei, Y.
pp. 290-299
Palliative care nurses' experiences of training in cognitive behaviour therapy and taking part in a randomized controlled trial.
Cort, E.; Moorey, S.; Hotopf, M.; Kapari, M.; Monroe, B.; Hansford, P.
pp. 300-304
Use of an adapted problem-based learning approach to aid the development of clinical audit skills in a palliative care setting.
Lawton, S.; Collie, J.; Bird, J.; Macfarlane, W.; Milne, C.; Paul, M.; Peace, S.

The Lancet - UK falling behind

UK falling behind on cancer care [Editorial]
The Lancet Vol. 373 Number 9683 July 4-10, 2009

Friday 3 July 2009

Palliative Medicine Vol 23 No 4 2009

Link to journal online
pp. 283-294
Key stakeholders' experiences and views of the NHS End of Life Care Programme: findings from a national evaluation.
Kennedy, S.; Seymour, J.; Almack, K.; Cox, K.
pp. 295-308
Classification of pain in cancer patients - a systematic literature review.
Knudsen, A.K.; Aass, N.; Fainsinger, R.; Caraceni, A. et al
pp. 309-316
Does palliative home oxygen improve dyspnoea? A consecutive cohort study.
Currow, D.C.; Agar, M.; Smith, J.; Abernethy, A.P.
pp. 317-324
Ratings of symptoms and comfort in dementia patients at the end of life: comparison of nurses and families.
van der Steen, J.T.; Gijsberts, M.J.; Knol, D.L.; Deliens, L.; Muller, M.T.
pp. 325-331
Modafinil for the treatment of fatigue in lung cancer: a pilot study.
Spathis, A.; Dhillan, R.; Booden, D.; Forbes, K.; Vrotsou, K.; Fife, K.
pp. 332-338
Advance care planning in care homes for older people: an English perspective.
Froggatt, K.; Vaughan, S.; Bernard, C.; Wild, D.
pp. 339-344
Supporting lay carers in end of life care: current gaps and future priorities.
Grande, G.; Stajduhar, K.; Aoun, S.; Toye, C. et al
pp. 345-353
Information disclosure to terminally ill patients and their relatives: self-reported practice of Belgian clinical specialists and general practitioners.
Michiels, E.; Deschepper, R.; Bilsen, J.; Mortier, F.; Deliens, L.
pp. 354-359
Illness awareness in terminal cancer patients: an Italian study.
Corli, O.; Apolone, G.; Pizzuto, M.; Cesaris, L.; Cozzolino, A.; Orsi, L.; Enterri, L.
pp. 360-368
Improved competence after a palliative care course for internal medicine residents.
Mulder, S.F.; Bleijenberg, G.; Verhagen, S.C.
pp. 369-373
Treatment of palliative care emergencies by prehospital emergency physicians in Germany: an interview based investigation.
Wiese, C.H.R.; Bartels, U.E.; Ruppert, D. et al
pp. 374-375
A UK hospice's position on assisted dying.
Stephenson, J.B.G.
p. 377
Colin Murray Parkes: Love and Loss: The Roots of Grief and its Complications.
Brennan, J.
p. 378
Jenny Buckley: Palliative care: An Integrated Approach.
Campion-Smith, C.
pp. 378-378
James Beattie & Sarah Goodlin: Supportive Care in Heart Failure.
Stark-Toller, C.

Articles from BMC Palliative Care

Palliative care for older people - Exploring the views of doctors and nurses from different fields in Germany
Torben Brueckner, Martin Schumacher, Nils Schneider
BMC Palliative Care 2009, 8:7 (23 June 2009)
Abstract http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-684X/8/7/abstract
Provisional PDF http://www.biomedcentral.com/content/pdf/1472-684X-8-7.pdf


Dying, death and bereavement: a qualitative study of the views of carers of people with heart failure in the UK.
Neil Small, Sarah Barnes, Merryn Gott, Sheila Payne, Chris Parker, David Seamark, Salah Gariballa
BMC Palliative Care 2009, 8:6 (16 June 2009)
Abstract http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-684X/8/6/abstract
Provisional PDF http://www.biomedcentral.com/content/pdf/1472-684X-8-6.pdf

Wednesday 10 June 2009

2009 American cancer statistics issue

American cancer Statistics issue
http://dmmsclick.wiley.com/view.asp?m=dv7l8zwixwvf3ehgqqsu&u=4714977&f=h
CA : A Cancer Journal for Clinicians

International Journal of Palliative Nursing Vol 15 No 5 2009

p. 211
Harnessing nurses' passion.
Howell, D.
pp. 212-213
Understanding advance decisions, mental capacity and proxy decision-making in medical treatment.
Dimond, B.
pp. 214-221
Setting up a support group for children and their well carers who have a significant adult with a life-threatening illness.
Popplestone-Helm, S.V.; Helm, D.P.
pp. 222-225
Metastatic breast cancer recurrence: A literature review of themes and issues arising from diagnosis.
Warren, M.
pp. 226-232
Palliative care nursing in relation to people with intellectual disabilities.
Read, S.; Thompson-Hill, J.
pp. 233-241
Survey of educators' end-of-life care learning needs in a Canadian baccalaureate nursing programme.
Brajtman, S.; Fothergill-Bourbonnais, F.; Fiset, V.; Alain, D.
pp. 242-249
Euthanasia in Greece: Greek nurses' involvement and beliefs.
Patelarou, E.; Vardavas, C.I.; Fioraki, I.; Alegakis, T. et al
pp. 250-256
The Supportive Care Plan: a tool to improve communication in end-of-life care.
Thompson-Hill, J.; Hookey, C.; Salt, E.; O Neill, T.

Palliative Medicine Vol.23 No.3 2009

Link to journal online
pp. 187-189
Palliative care in hospice and hospital: time to put the spotlight on neglected areas of research.
Grande, G.
pp. 190-197
A comparison of the quality of care provided to cancer patients in the UK in the last three months of life in in-patient hospices compared with hospitals, from the perspective of bereaved relatives: results from a survey using the VOICES questionnaire.
Addington-Hall, J.M.; O Callaghan, A.C.
pp. 198-204
End-of-life decisions in the UK involving medical practitioners.
Seale, C.
pp. 205-212
Legalisation of euthanasia or physician-assisted suicide: survey of doctors' attitudes.
Seale, C.
pp. 213-227
Researching breathlessness in palliative care: consensus statement of the National Cancer Research Institute Palliative Care Breathlessness Subgroup.
Dorman, S.; Jolley, C.; Abernethy, A.; Currow, D.; Johnson, M.et al
pp. 228-237
Using videotelephony to support paediatric oncology-related palliative care in the home: from abandoned RCT to acceptability study.
Bensink, M.E.; Armfield, N.R.; Pinkerton, R.; Irving, H.; Hallahan, A.R. et al
pp. 238-247
Clinical dilemmas in children with life-limiting illnesses: decision making and the law.
Wright, B.; Aldridge, J.; Wurr, K.; Sloper, T.; Tomlinson, H.; Miller, M.
pp. 248-256
Informal carer bereavement outcome: relation to quality of end of life support and achievement of preferred place of death.
Grande, G.E.; Ewing, G.; National Forum for Hospice at Home
pp. 257-265
Changes in anticholinergic load from regular prescribed medications in palliative care as death approaches.
Agar, M.; Currow, D.; Plummer, J.; Seidel, R.; Carnahan, R.; Abernethy, A.P.
pp. 266-273
The malignant wound assessment tool: a validation study using a Delphi approach.
Schulz, V.; Kozell, K.; Biondo, P.D.; Stiles, C.; Tonkin, K.; Hagen, N.A.
pp. 274-275
Considerations for ethics in multisite research in paediatric palliative care.
Cadell, S.; Ho, G.; Jacques, L.; Wilson, K.; Davies, B.; Steele, R.
pp. 276-277
Out-of-hours need for specialist palliative care face-to-face assessments.
Sheils, R.; Ankrett, H.; Edwards, A.; Hicks, F. et al

Tuesday 19 May 2009

Articles from Critical Care Medicine

Link to full text of journal
Wood, Gordon J. MD; Arnold, Robert M. MD;
How can we be helpful? Triggers for palliative care consultation in the surgical intensive care unit .[Editorial]
Critical Care Medicine. 37(3):1147-1148, March 2009.

Degenholtz, Howard B. PhD
Two and a half weeks: Time enough for end-of-life care planning? .[Editorial]
Source
Critical Care Medicine. 37(3):1145, March 2009.

Bradley, Ciaran T. MD; Brasel, Karen J. MD, MPH;
Developing guidelines that identify patients who would benefit from palliative care services in the surgical intensive care unit
Critical Care Medicine. 37(3):946-950, March 2009.
Abstract
Objective: The convergence of end-of-life care and surgical practice often occurs in the surgical intensive care unit (SICU). Because many patients who encounter difficult end-of-life issues in the SICU do not receive palliative care services, there is a need to educate surgeons on how to better identify those patients.Design: A group of 29 national and local experts were identified based on qualifications as surgical intensivists, palliative care specialists, or members of the American College of Surgeons Surgical Palliative Care Task Force. A smaller representative group initially identified responses to the question, "Which patients in the SICU should receive a palliative care consultation?" Using a modified Delphi technique, 31 proposed criteria were distributed electronically to the larger group and ranked through three rounds to generate a final list of ten.Setting: E-mail-based Delphi consensus panel.Subjects: National and local surgical palliative care experts.Interventions: Survey in three rounds.Results: Thirteen participants responded to the first round and 12 to the second. In the third round, the entire group was given the ten criteria for final approval. One half of the respondents were national authorities and the other half were local experts. The top five "triggers" for a palliative care consultation in descending order were: family request; futility considered or declared by the medical team; family disagreement with the medical team, the patient's advance directive, or each other lasting >7 days; death expected during the same SICU stay; and SICU stay >month.Conclusions: We offer a set of consensus guidelines derived from expert opinion that identifies critically ill surgical patients who would benefit from palliative care consultation. These criteria can be used to educate surgeons at large on the variety of clinical scenarios where palliative care specialists can offer support.

Camhi, Sharon L. ; Mercado, Alice F. ; Morrison, R Sean; Du, Qingling et al
Deciding in the dark: Advance directives and continuation of treatment in chronic critical illness
Critical Care Medicine. 37(3):919-925, March 2009.
Abstract
Objective: Chronic critical illness is a devastating syndrome for which treatment offers limited clinical benefit but imposes heavy burdens on patients, families, clinicians, and the health care system. We studied the availability of advance directives and appropriate surrogates to guide decisions about life-sustaining treatment for the chronically critically ill and the extent and timing of treatment limitation.Design: Prospective cohort study.Setting: Respiratory Care Unit (RCU) in a large, tertiary, urban, university-affiliated, hospital.Patients: Two hundred three chronically critically ill adults transferred to RCU after tracheotomy for failure to wean from mechanical ventilation in the intensive care unit.Interventions: None.Measurements and Main Results: We interviewed RCU caregivers and reviewed patient records to identify proxy appointments, living wills, or oral statements of treatment preferences, resuscitation directives, and withholding/withdrawal of mechanical ventilation, nutrition, hydration, renal replacement and vasopressors. Forty-three of 203 patients (21.2%) appointed a proxy and 33 (16.2%) expressed preferences in advance directives. Do not resuscitate directives were given for 71 patients (35.0%). Treatment was limited for 39 patients (19.2%). Variables significantly associated with treatment limitation were proxy appointment prior to study entry (time of tracheotomy/RCU transfer) (odds ratio = 6.7, 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.3-20.0, p = 0.0006) and palliative care consultation in the RCU (OR = 40.9, 95% CI, 13.1-127.4, p < 0.0001). Median (interquartile range) time to first treatment limitation was 39 (31.0-45.0) days after hospital admission and 13 (8.0-29.0) days after RCU admission. For patients dying after treatment limitation, median time from first limitation to death ranged from 3 days for mechanical ventilation and hydration to 7 days for renal replacement.Conclusions: Most chronically critically ill patients fail to designate a surrogate decision-maker or express preferences regarding life-sustaining treatments. Despite burdensome symptoms and poor outcomes, limitation of such treatments was rare and occurred late, when patients were near death. Opportunities exist to improve communication and decision-making in chronic critical illness.

International Journal of Palliative Nursing Vol 15 No 4 2009

p. 159
Crossing the divide.
Black, P.
pp. 160-161
Working in partnership to achieve optimal end-of-life care for people living with neurological conditions.
McClinton, P.; Byrne, J.
pp. 162-169
Understanding the management of lymphoedema for patients with advanced disease.
Honnor, A.
pp. 170-177
Sculpting the distress: easing or exacerbating the grief experience of same-sex couples.
Higgins, A.; Glacken, M.
pp. 178-185
Understanding the meaning of human dignity in Korea: a content analysis.
Jo, K.-H.; Doorenbos, A.Z.
pp. 186-189
Exploring the literature surrounding the transition into palliative care: a scoping review.
Marsella, A.
pp. 190-197
Understanding best practice within nurse intershift handover: what suits palliative care?.
Messam, K.; Pettifer, A.
pp. 198-203
Problems arising when caring for a dying patient with cancer: reflection on a critical incident.
Charalambous, A.; Papastavrou, E.
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End of Life Care Horizon Scanning Bulletin

Volume 1 Issue 3 End of Life Care Horizon Scanning Bulletin has now been published at http://palliativecarenwpctl.wordpress.com/
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Tuesday 21 April 2009

Articles from Critical Care Medicine

Link to full text of journal
Crippen, David MD, FCCM
Palliation for high-risk patients: Should we be watching? .[Editorial]
Source
Critical Care Medicine. 37(4):1498-1499, April 2009.

Whetstine, Leslie M. ; Crippen, David
Shortening the dying process: More than a feelin' .[Editorial]
Critical Care Medicine. 37(4):1489-1490, April 2009.

Song, Mi-Kyung ; De Vito Dabbs, Annette ; Studer, Sean M. ; Arnold, Robert M. Palliative care referrals after lung transplantation in major transplant centers in the United States
Critical Care Medicine. 37(4):1288-1292, April 2009.
Abstract
Objective: Although lung transplantation is a widely used treatment modality for patients with end-stage lung disease, its long-term outcomes are limited. Including palliative approaches in the care of lung transplant recipients may be beneficial; however, systematic information regarding the utilization of palliative care services for lung recipients is lacking.Design and Setting: Of the 27 transplant centers meeting the inclusion criteria (an annual lung transplant volume >=15 for the past 5 years and the availability of palliative care or pain services at the center), 74 clinicians representing either the transplant or palliative care program from 18 centers completed surveys.Results: Both transplant and palliative care clinician respondents strongly favored the idea of integrating palliative care into lung transplant care. However, the number of palliative care referrals made during the last year was low (<=5 per center). The three most frequently endorsed reasons for palliative care referrals were end-of-life planning, uncontrolled pain and symptoms, and limited functional status. The average length of survival after referral was <30 days. Palliative care clinicians considered misconceptions that palliative care meant "end-of-life care" as a major barrier, whereas transplant clinicians identified uncertainty about recipients' prognoses, the perception that palliative care precludes aggressive treatment, and difficulty in discussing palliative care with recipients and family as barriers.Conclusions: Despite clinicians' positive attitudes toward integrating palliative and lung transplant care, actual utilization of palliative care services is low. Collaborative efforts to enhance communication between the two programs are needed to clarify misconceptions and promote understanding between the programs.(C) 2009 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Inc.

Manthous, Constantine A.
Why not physician-assisted death?
Critical Care Medicine. 37(4):1206-1209, April 2009.
Abstract
Objective: The Hippocratic Oath states "[horizontal ellipsis] I will neither give a deadly drug to anybody who asked for it, nor will I make a suggestion to this effect" ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hippocratic_Oath). Physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia are topics that engender a strong negative response on the part of many physicians and patients. This article explores contributions of religion, Western medical mores, law, and emerging concepts of moral neurocognition that may explain our inherent aversion to these ideas.Sources: Religious texts, legal opinions, manifestos of medical ethics, medical literature, and lay literature.Conclusion: Our collective repudiation of physician-assisted death, in all its forms, has complex origins that are not necessarily rational. If great care is taken to ensure that a request for physician-assisted death is persistent despite exhaustion of all available therapeutic modalities, then an argument can be made that our rejection constrains unnecessarily the liberty of a small number of patients.(C) 2009 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Inc.

Intl Journal of Palliative Nursing Vol 15 No 3 2009

p. 107
Out of pocket.
Black, P.
pp. 108-109
Can the palliative care services of today keep up and match the expectations of the `baby boomer' generation?.
Becker, R.
pp. 110-119
Effecting positive change with bereaved service users in a hospice setting.
Agnew, A.; Duffy, J.
pp. 120-127
A neurological care pathway for meeting the palliative care needs of people with life-limiting neurological conditions.
Brown, J.B.; Sutton, L.
pp. 128-133
The prebereavement psychological needs of AIDS-affected adolescents in Uganda.
Withell, B.
pp. 134-141
Providing comfort to patients in their palliative care trajectory: experiences of female nurses working in an acute setting.
Roche-Fahy, V.; Dowling, M.
pp. 142-147
Paediatric antiretroviral therapy outcomes under HIV hospice care in South Africa.
Harding, R.; Brits, H.; Penfold, S.

New End of Life horizon scanning bulletin

The End of Life Care Horizon Scanning Bulletin has now been published at http://palliativecarenwpctl.wordpress.com/
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Palliative medicine Vol 23 No 2 2009

Link to full text online
pp. 104-111
Symptom management for the adult patient dying with advanced chronic kidney disease: A review of the literature and development of evidence-based guidelines by a United Kingdom Expert Consensus Group.
Douglas, C.; Murtagh, F.E.M.; Chambers, E.J.; Howse, M.; Ellershaw, J.
p. 112
Original Articles.
pp. 112-120
Symptom burden and quality of life in end-stage renal disease: a study of 179 patients on dialysis and palliative care.
Yong, D.S.P.; Kwok, A.O.L.; Wong, D.M.L.; Suen, M.H.P.; Chen, W.T.; Tse, D.M.W.
pp. 121-126
Palliative stage Parkinson's disease: patient and family experiences of health-care services.
Giles, S.; Miyasaki, J.
pp. 127-132
Professionals delivering palliative care to people with COPD: qualitative study.
Spence, A.; Masson, F.; Waldron, M.; Kernohan, W.G.; McLaughlin, D.; Watson, B.et al
pp. 133-141
Patients' constructions of disability in metastatic spinal cord compression.
Eva, G.; Paley, J.; Miller, M.; Wee, B.
pp. 142-150
Family and friends provide most social support for the bereaved.
Benkel, I.; Wijk, H.; Molander, U.
pp. 151-158
Family meetings in palliative care: are they effective?.
Hudson, P.; Thomas, T.; Quinn, K.; Aranda, S.
pp. 159-165
A profile of the belief system and attitudes to end-of-life decisions of senior clinicians working in a National Health Service Hospital in the United Kingdom.
Pugh, E.J.; Song, R.; Whittaker, V.; Blenkinsopp, J.
pp. 166-171
The existential impact of starting corticosteroid treatment as symptom control in advanced metastatic cancer.
Lundstrom, S.; Furst, C.J.; Friedrichsen, M.; Strang, P.
pp. 172-179
Fatigue dimensions in patients with advanced cancer in relation to time of survival and quality of life.
Hagelin, C.L.; Wengstrom, Y.; Ahsberg, E.; Furst, C.J.
pp. 180-181
The cochrane pain, palliative and supportive care group: an update.
Wiffen, P.J.; Eccleston, C.
pp. 182-182
What keeps a palliative medicine physician so busy with patients? Time expenditure in palliative care.
Spoon, A.S.; Centeno, C.; Rodriguez, J.; Ros, W.

Palliative & Supportive Care Vol 7 No 1 2009

pp. 1-2
Is House, M.D., always right?.
Wein, S.
pp. 3-6
A call for simple and rational palliative medicine psychotropic prescribing guidelines: Response to Barnhorst et al. (Palliative & Supportive Care, Volume 6, Number 1, 2008).
Irwin, S.
pp. 7-12
The lived experience of parenting a child with a life-limiting condition: A focus on the mental health realm.
Rodriguez, A.; King, N.
pp. 13-26
Adolescents' experiences of a parent's serious illness and death.
Dehlin, L.; Martensson, L.
pp. 27-36
Place of death of adolescents and young adults with cancer: First study in a French population.
Montel, S.; Laurence, V.; Copel, L.; Pacquement, H.; Flahault, C.
pp. 37-48
Can short hospice enrollment be long enough? Comparing the perspectives of hospice professionals and family caregivers.
Waldrop, D.P.; Rinfrette, E.S.
pp. 49-56
Recruitment and retention of palliative cancer patients and their partners participating in a longitudinal evaluation of a psychosocial retreat program.
Garland, S.N.; Carlson, L.E.; Marr, H.; Simpson, S.
pp. 57-64
Implementation of computerized technology in a palliative care unit.
Andre, B.; Ringdal, G.I.; Loge, J.H.; Rannestad, T.; Kaasa, S.
pp. 65-74
The patient lived experience for surgical treatment of colorectal liver metastases: A phenomenological study.
McCahill, L.; Hamel-Bissell, B.P.
pp. 75-86
The project ENABLE II randomized controlled trial to improve palliative care for rural patients with advanced cancer: Baseline findings, methodological challenges, and solutions.
Bakitas, M.; Lyons, K.D.; Hegel, M.T.; Balan, S.; Barnett, K.N.; Brokaw, F.C et al
pp. 87-96
Individual brief art therapy can be helpful for women with breast cancer: A randomized controlled clinical study.
Thyme, K.E.; Sundin, E.C.; Wiberg, B.; Oster, I.; Astrom, S.; Lindh, J.
pp. 97-108
The spiritual meaning of pre-loss music therapy to bereaved caregivers of advanced cancer patients.
Magill, L.
pp. 109-120
Morbidity, mortality, and parental grief: A review of the literature on the relationship between the death of a child and the subsequent health of parents.
Hendrickson, K.
pp. 121-131
Personal reflections on love, death and suffering: My narrative of the final days of my husband's life.
Sjolander, C.T.

Tuesday 7 April 2009

New book in the Library

Now in stock
Palliative care : an integrated approach by Jenny Buckley
Published 2008
Shelved at 616.994 BUC

Thursday 19 March 2009

International Journal of Palliative Nursing Vol 15 No 2 2009

Link to full text of journal
p. 55
Are your shoelaces shortening?.
Nyatanga, B.
pp. 56-57
Broadcasting death and the legality of assisted suicide: are they the antithesis to palliative care?.
Smyth, D.
pp. 58-65
Exploring the causes, assessment and management of constipation in palliative care.
Brown, E.; Henderson, A.; McDonagh, A.
pp. 66-73
Phase 1 of an investigation into the levels of stress in United Kingdom hospice services.
Hackett, A.; Palmer, S.; Farrants, J.
pp. 74-79
The meaning of Friday afternoon tea for informal caregivers on a palliative care unit.
Parsons, S.; Anderson, C.
pp. 80-85
Understanding patients' lived experience following photodynamic therapy for the treatment of advanced cancer.
Walker, G.; Andrew, J.
pp. 86-93
Developing spiritual and religious care competencies in practice: pilot of a Marie Curie blended learning event.
Smith, T.; Gordon, T.
pp. 94-100
Recognizing the importance of palliative care skills for community matrons.
Bowler, M.; Mayne, G.; Gamlin, R.

Friday 6 March 2009

BMC Palliative Care

Dying from cancer or other chronic diseases in the Netherlands: ten-year trends derived from death certificate data
Lud FJ van der Velden, Anneke L Francke, Lammert Hingstman, Dick L Willems
BMC Palliative Care 2009, 8:4 (4 February 2009)
http://www.biomedcentral.com/content/pdf/1472-684X-8-4.pdf

Palliative care referrals after lung transplantation

Link to full text of journal
Song, Mi-Kyung PhD; Vito Dabbs, Annette De PhD; Studer, Sean M. MD; Arnold, Robert M. MD; Palliative care referrals after lung transplantation in major transplant centers in the United States
Critical Care Medicine.
Publish Ahead of Print, POST COPYEDIT, 24 February 2009
Abstract
Objective: Although lung transplantation is a widely used treatment modality for patients with end-stage lung disease, its long-term outcomes are limited. Including palliative approaches in the care of lung transplant recipients may be beneficial; however, systematic information regarding the utilization of palliative care services for lung recipients is lacking.Design and Setting: Of the 27 transplant centers meeting the inclusion criteria (an annual lung transplant volume >=15 for the past 5 years and the availability of palliative care or pain services at the center), 74 clinicians representing either the transplant or palliative care program from 18 centers completed surveys.Results: Both transplant and palliative care clinician respondents strongly favored the idea of integrating palliative care into lung transplant care. However, the number of palliative care referrals made during the last year was low (<=5 per center). The three most frequently endorsed reasons for palliative care referrals were end-of-life planning, uncontrolled pain and symptoms, and limited functional status. The average length of survival after referral was <30>

Annual Evidence Update on Pain

Annual Evidence Update on Pain (Supportive and Palliative Care
Specialist Library)
http://www.library.nhs.uk/palliative
This Annual Evidence Update collects together the latest high quality
evidence on three important aspects of pain in supportive and palliative
care: Cannabinoids for pain management, Pain management in dementia,
Pain and cancer survivorship.

PALLIATIVE MEDICINE Vol 23 No 1 2009

Link to full text of journal
pp. 5-7
Imagine: a creative challenge towards holism.
Groves, K.E.
pp. 8-16
Pain in patients living in Norwegian nursing homes.
Torvik, K.; Kaasa, S.; Kirkevold, O.; Rustoen, T.
pp. 17-22
A systematic review of specialised palliative care for terminal patients: which model is better?.
Garcia-Perez, L.; Linertova, R.; Martin-Olivera, R.; Serrano-Aguilar, P.; Benitez-Rosario, M.A.
pp. 23-28
Evaluation of hospital palliative care teams: strengths and weaknesses of the before-after study design and strategies to improve it.
Simon, S.; Higginson, I.J.
pp. 29-39
Advanced cancer patients' prognostic information preferences: a review.
Innes, S.; Payne, S.
pp. 40-45
Validation of the confusion assessment method in the palliative care setting.
Ryan, K.; Leonard, M.; Guerin, S.; Donnelly, S.; Conroy, M.; Meagher, D.
pp. 46-53
How is sleep quality affected by the psychological and symptom distress of advanced cancer patients?.
Mystakidou, K.; Parpa, E.; Tsilika, E.; Gennatas, C.; Galanos, A.; Vlahos, L.
pp. 54-58
Intranasal sufentanil for cancer-associated breakthrough pain.
Good, P.; Jackson, K.; Brumley, D.; Ashby, M.
pp. 59-65
Difficulties of residents in training in end-of-life care. A qualitative study.
Luthy, C.; Cedraschi, C.; Pautex, S.; Rentsch, D.; Piguet, V.; Allaz, A.F.
pp. 66-79
Defining distinct caregiver subpopulations by intensity of end-of-life care provided.
Abernethy, A.; Burns, C.; Wheeler, J.; Currow, D.
pp. 80-86
Reflecting the scope and work of palliative care teams today: an action research project to modernise a national minimum data set.
Jack, B.A.; Littlewood, C.; Eve, A.; Murphy, D.; Khatri, A.; Ellershaw, J.E.
pp. 87-94
Impact of perception of socioeconomic burden on advocacy for patient autonomy in end-of-life decision making: a study of societal attitudes.
Kwon, Y.C.; Shin, D.W.; Lee, J.H.; Heo, D.S.; Hong, Y.S.; Kim, S.-Y.; Yun, H.Y.

Cases Journal 2009

Patient and/or family controlled palliative sedation with midazolam for intractable symptom control: a case report
Aretha D, Panteli ES, Kiekkas P, Karanikolas M Cases Journal 2009, 2:136 (11 February 2009)[Abstract] [Provisional PDF] [PubMed]

Friday 2 January 2009