Palliative Care
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Updated Recommendations on Pediatric End-of-Life Care
A report includes a review of essential elements of care for patients and families. The authors covered discussions on goals of care, how to establish end-of-life care goals, advance care planning, and palliative and hospice involvement.
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Prosecution for Excessive Painkillers Tough Case to Make
A recent case may have generated a fresh conversation about medical aid in dying and physician-assisted suicide.
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Waning Pandemic May Mean Less Interest in Advance Care Planning
National Healthcare Decisions Day is a time for Americans to document wishes for end-of-life care.
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Palliative Care Guidelines Call for Equipping Frontline Providers to Meet Growing Need
As the U.S. population ages, there is a growing need for clinicians skilled in primary palliative care. Such skills include the ability to assess for need, engage in advance care planning discussions, and provide appropriate care for symptom management that aligns with patients’ wishes. Considering the volume of patients who access care through EDs annually, experts note emergency clinicians often are in position to provide primary palliative care to those with serious or life-threatening conditions.
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Rural Patients Still Lack Palliative Care Access
Funding and resources are needed to improve palliative care access and delivery and prevent health disparities within rural communities.
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Moral Distress When Caring for Patients on Mechanical Circulatory Support
Clinicians pointed to palliative care and ethics consults as ways to mitigate moral distress.
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Decisional Capacity Is Most Common Issue in Neuro-Oncologic Ethical Consults
For a terminal condition, goals of care need to be identified so they can be honored. If discussions do not happen early, when the patient likely is at his or her peak functional status, it leaves caregivers, families, and physicians with little guidance.
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Nurses Appreciate Training on End-of-Life Care
It is difficult for nurses to remain hopeful and honest when caring for someone at the end of life. Still, families need physical, psychological, and spiritual care that nurses must be adept in providing.
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Jury Still Out on Convalescent Plasma
One year after the FDA issued an emergency use authorization, investigators are struggling to draw firm conclusions about the efficacy of this solution against COVID-19.
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Palliative Care Integrated into Critical Care Settings, Including EDs
Although palliative care is integral to providing quality care, in the ED the focus tends to be on aggressive and life-saving measures. More education and training is needed to make ED providers more comfortable with integrating palliative care there.