scholarly journals The Quality of Palliative Sedation in End-Stage Disease: Audit From a Department of Oncology and Haematology

Author(s):  
Saviola Alessia ◽  
Schipilliti Francesca Matilde ◽  
Isca Chrystel ◽  
Massimiliano Salati ◽  
Daniele Dini ◽  
...  

Abstract PurposePalliative sedation (PS) plays a critical role to give suffering relief from refractory symptoms at the end of life. Our audit aimed to assess and improve quality of PS at the Department of Oncology and Hematology of University Hospital of Modena, to verify the adherence to international guidelines, the cooperation among members of care team, focusing with attention on family’s perception of this delicate situation. MethodsFrom December 2016 to June 2019, data of patients undergoing PS in the Department were collected by an electronic folder tool, “Sedation Tool” (ST), that recorded clinical and PS informations, D-PaP, Rudkin Score and family’s perception. Results245 patients were enrolled. 82% had a Karnofsky Performance Status 10-20%. The most common cancer types were lung and gastro-intestinal carcinomas (27% and 21% respectively). Refractory symptoms observed were confusion and agitation (76%), dyspnea (39%), pain (15%), delirium (10%), psychological distress (5%). Midazolam was the drug of choice for PS. Most of patients had Rudkin score 5 after 24 hours and 33% had terminal event within a period of 24 hours from the beginning of PS. During PS most of Patient’s relatives reported peacefulness (65%), agitation/impatience in 6% of cases, concern for suffering (16%). ConclusionPS is used in case of worsening general conditions at the end-stage disease to relieve refractory symptoms with dignity. The ST can become a simple instrument to evaluate and improve PS quality, providing more attention on the impact of PS on relatives to then possibly develop new supportive procedures for patients and their families.

2017 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 69-76
Author(s):  
Radka Bužgová ◽  
Lucie Sikorová ◽  
Radka Kozáková ◽  
Darja Jarošová

Background: Currently, there are no studies aimed at evaluating the quality of life (QoL) of patients with end-stage disease during hospitalization and the factors that influence it. Aim: The aim of the research was to identify predictors of change in the QoL of patients hospitalized due to advanced stage of disease. Methods: The sample consisted of 140 patients with end-stage disease who were hospitalized on this account. For evaluation of QoL, the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30) was used. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and Karnofsky Performance Status questionnaires were used for the assessment of mental and functional status. For the evaluation of predictors of negative change in QoL, a logistic regression analysis was used. Results: During hospitalization, there was a significant deterioration in the scores given for all domains of the functional QLQ-C30 scale, but not the symptomatic scale. Predictors of change in overall QoL detected were marital status, improved functional status, and depression detected on admission to hospital. Gender and age were found to be protective factors against deterioration in overall QoL. Conclusion: Sociodemographic characteristics and mental and functional status may be associated with change in QoL of patients with end-stage disease during hospitalization.


Author(s):  
Saviola Alessia ◽  
Schipilliti Francesca Matilde ◽  
Isca Chrystel ◽  
Salati Massimiliano ◽  
Dini Daniele ◽  
...  

2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Wang ◽  
Y. Wei ◽  
L. Xue ◽  
Q. Guo ◽  
W. Liu

Background Patients with cancer experience various levels of loss of dignity. Exploring levels of loss of dignity and the factors that influence such losses for patients with cancer is rare, but important in palliative care in China.Methods Participants were cancer patients with early and advanced cancer recruited from a tertiary cancer hospital in North China. Patients were surveyed to assess their level of loss of dignity and potentially relevant factors. Data were collected using the Patient Dignity Inventory, the MD Anderson Symptom Inventory–Chinese, the distress thermometer, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and the 30-question core Quality of Life Questionnaire from the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer, and were analyzed using quantitative methods.Results The study included 202 cancer patients, 143 of whom experienced mild loss of dignity (71%); 37, moderate loss of dignity (18%); and 10, severe loss of dignity (5%). The problems with dignity were slightly different in patients with early-stage disease than in those with advanced-stage disease. Loss of dignity in the patients was significantly correlated with psychological distress, symptom burden, and quality of life (p < 0.05). Logistic regression showed that age, Karnofsky performance status, anxiety, and symptom burden were significant predictors of loss of dignity.Conclusions Most patients with early and advanced cancer experienced some level of loss of dignity. Loss of dignity was more likely for patients of younger age, high Karnofsky performance status, high symptom burden, and anxiety. Understanding the dignity of cancer patients and potentially relevant factors is of great value for implementing comprehensive palliative care in China.


Author(s):  
Robert C. Macauley

Palliative sedation refers to lowering a patient’s level of consciousness so that she no longer suffers from intolerable and refractory symptoms. Some forms of palliative sedation are ethically uncontroversial, such as emergency or respite sedation. Continuous sedation to unconsciousness (CSU) is controversial in that a patient in such a state is unable to eat or drink and may not be able to protect her airway. Ethically relevant considerations include the inability to participate in subsequent decision-making, the uncertain quality of an unconscious life, and the impact on life expectancy (which is often misunderstood). Special cases of CSU for existential distress and in children demand in-depth analysis.


2021 ◽  
Vol 80 (Suppl 1) ◽  
pp. 767.2-768
Author(s):  
S. Lahrichi ◽  
K. Nassar ◽  
S. Janani

Background:Spondyloarthropathies (SpA) are a group of chronic and progressive diseases, characterized in particular by a progressive stiffening of the spine, spreading to neighboring joints or to certain tissues, which could lead in the long term to progressive stiffening and functional impairment. This conditioncancauseinsomnia problems and impaired sleep quality.Objectives:To assess the impact of SpA on the quality of sleep.Methods:This is a retrospective study over a period of 4 years from January 2015 to December 2019, including all the medical records of patients with SpA followed in the Department of Rheumatology of the University Hospital of Ibn Rochd, Casablanca. We evaluated for each patient two validated scores: the Epworth somnolence scale rated from 0 to 24, and the Pittsburgh sleep score rated from 0 to 21 with 7 components. Patients with a psychiatric history or who were followed up for neurological pathologies were excluded.Results:178 patients were included. 60.67% were men with an average age of 36.32 years (14-68 years). 45.01% had axial SpA, 29.77% had psoriatic arthritis, and 25.22% were followed for SpA associated with inflammatory bowel disease. 45% had associated comorbidities: there were 18 diabetics and 34 hypertensive, 16.58% were smokers. Clinically, 85.42% presented a back pain initially on examination, 55% presented a polyarthralgia, and 39.88% an oligoarthritis. 63% had radiological sacroiliitis, and 35.14% had bilateral coxitis. 13.48% had a positive HLA B27 and 58.89% had a positive inflammatory assessment with very high activity indices,with a mean of 4.6. 64.66% of the patients received NSAIDs,of which 11% responded well. 57% were treated with csDMARDs, and 17.86% were treated with biologics. At the time of our study, the mean visual analog scale was 5.84 ± 1.7 out of 10 (2-9). The mean Epworth score was 8.38 ± 5.2 (0-21). 56.1% of patients had no sleep debt, 33.3% had a sleep deficit, and only 10.6% had signs of drowsiness. For the overall Pittsburgh score, the mean was 7.02 ± 3.6 (1-18). The mean of “subjective quality of sleep” was 1.12, “sleep latency” was 1.22, “duration of sleep” was 1.06, “usual sleep efficiency” was 0.74, “Sleep disturbance” of 1.28, “use of a sleep medication” of 0.54, and the average of the component concerning “poor shape during the day” was 1.03 out of 3. The LEQUESNE index went from an average of 6 to 8, which corresponds to an average handicap (P = 0.2) over a period of 3 years. 68% of the patients had an alteration in the quality of sleep, starting on average three years after the onset of symptoms. 11% reported having experiencedanxiety and depressive symptoms, and reported having used antidepressants or anxiolytics in the past 5 years.Conclusion:Our study showed the negative impact of SpA on the duration and overall quality of sleep. The degree of pain as well as functional impairment can cause and worsen sleep disturbances in SpA. We have shown that the Pittsburg score increases significantly with the increase of pain.The Lequesne score and that the Epworth score increase with disease activity[1].References:[1]StolwijkC,vanTubergenA,Castillo-OrtizJD,BoonenA.Prevalenceofextra-articularmanifestationsinpatientswithankylosingspondylitis:asystematicreviewandmeta-analysis.AnnRheumDis2015;74:65—73.Disclosure of Interests:None declared.


2018 ◽  
Vol 24 (24) ◽  
pp. 2789-2793 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fahimeh Moradi ◽  
Robert D.E Sewell ◽  
Zahra Lorigooini ◽  
Mahmoud Rafieian-Kopaei

Atherosclerosis is a chronic arterial disease responsible for the majority of vascular-related deaths throughout the world. Immune cells and inflammation in conjunction with hyperlipidemia play a key role in atherosclerosis development. Regarding the low efficacy of the synthetic drugs and also the associated negative side effects which can adversely influence health-related quality of life, looking for natural, affordable and non-toxic substances seem necessary. Plant-derived natural products play a critical role in the prevention and treatment of atherosclerosis. In this review, we aimed to outline the most important medicinal herbs effective for atherosclerosis through the impact on immune system.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arzoo M. Patel ◽  
Yuxin S. Liu ◽  
Scott P. Davies ◽  
Rachel M. Brown ◽  
Deirdre A. Kelly ◽  
...  

B lymphocytes are multitasking cells that direct the immune response by producing pro- or anti-inflammatory cytokines, by presenting processed antigen for T cell activation and co-stimulation, and by turning into antibody-secreting cells. These functions are important to control infection in the liver but can also exacerbate tissue damage and fibrosis as part of persistent inflammation that can lead to end stage disease requiring a transplant. In transplantation, immunosuppression increases the incidence of lymphoma and often this is of B cell origin. In this review we bring together information on liver B cell biology from different liver diseases, including alcohol-related and metabolic fatty liver disease, autoimmune hepatitis, primary biliary and primary sclerosing cholangitis, viral hepatitis and, in infants, biliary atresia. We also discuss the impact of B cell depletion therapy in the liver setting. Taken together, our analysis shows that B cells are important in the pathogenesis of liver diseases and that further research is necessary to fully characterise the human liver B cell compartment.


2018 ◽  
Vol 27 (9) ◽  
pp. 2321-2327 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yu Heng Kwan ◽  
Warren Fong ◽  
Priscilla How ◽  
Hwee-Lin Wee ◽  
Ying Ying Leung ◽  
...  

2021 ◽  
Vol 39 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. e20563-e20563
Author(s):  
Susana Cedres Perez ◽  
Juan David Assaf Pastrana ◽  
Patricia Iranzo ◽  
Ana Callejo ◽  
Nuria Pardo ◽  
...  

e20563 Background: MPM is a highly aggressive pleural tumor associated with asbestos exposure and with limited survival despite systemic therapy. Histology is a prognostic factor and recently CheckMate 743 trial demonstrated survival benefit of immunotherapy in first line with some differences in the efficacy of chemotherapy according to histology. However, randomized trials who led to the approval of antifolate in mesothelioma did not include analysis of outcomes by histology. The objective of this study is to characterize the impact of chemotherapy according to histology in p with MPM at our institution. Methods: We review 189 MPM p diagnosed at Vall d´Hebron University Hospital between November 2002 and April 2020. Associations between clinical variables and outcome were assessed with Cox regression models and survival data were calculated by the Kaplan-Meier method. Results: Patient’s characteristics: median age 68 years (y) (45-88 y), males: 70%, performance status (PS)1: 69%, asbestos exposure: 75%, epithelioid subtype: 76%. First line chemotherapy was offered to 85% of p (66% cisplatin-pemetrexed and 27% carboplatin-pemetrexed). Median overall survival (OS) in overall population was 21.3 m (95%CI17.2-24.3). Epithelioid histology, PS 0, neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio <5 and treatment with cisplatin vs carboplatin were associated with significant improvements in OS (p<0.001). When we analyzed the survival of patients who received first line chemotherapy according to histology, we found that patients with epithelioid tumors had better PFS and OS. Median PFS for p with epithelioid tumors treated with chemotherapy in first line was 4.8 m versus 3.6 months non-epithelioid (HR1.5 CI95% 1.1-2.3; p=0.03). OS of epithelioid p treated with first line chemotherapy was 26.7 m versus 15.0 m non-epithelioid patients (HR2.25 CI95% 1.4-3.4; p<0.001). We analyzed if the differences in survival according to histology were due to type of systemic treatment received (Table). Conclusions: In our series, p with non-epithelioid tumors presented worse prognosis. We confirmed histology is a prognostic factor with better OS for p with epithelioid tumors. Moreover, we demonstrated better efficacy of chemotherapy in epithelioid tumors, although histology is not a predictive factor for the platinum agent sensitivity (p of interaction PFS=0.09, p of interaction OS= 0.65).[Table: see text]


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