Treatment options for hypoplastic left heart syndrome: a mother's perspective

1995 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 70-72 ◽  
Author(s):  
LT Swanson
Keyword(s):  
Treatment Options ◽  
Palliative Surgery ◽  
First Year ◽  
Success Rates ◽  
Choice Of Treatment ◽  
New Treatment ◽  
Attending Physician ◽  
Left Heart Syndrome ◽  
Made In

The congenital heart defect of HLHS is nearly uniformly fatal without intervention. As surgeons gain experience with the techniques the success rates are improving; more infants with HLHS are being offered hope for survival and quality of life. The critical nature of this diagnosis, the relatively new treatment options, and uncertainty of the surgical outcome impose tremendous stress on the parents. Choice of treatment is difficult and should be made in collaboration with the attending physician. Although the first year of my son's life was difficult, the past 5 years have been wonderful. He continues to thrive and enjoy most of the activities other 6-year-olds enjoy. In retrospect, palliative surgery was a good option for him. As both his mother and a cardiac nurse, I recognize that he may once again require surgical intervention, but I am encouraged that medical and surgical advances are being made for children with HLHS.

scholarly journals Treatment of pelvic organ prolapse

2012 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 3
Author(s):  
Munir'deen A. Ijaiya ◽  
Hadijat O. Raji
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Pelvic Organ Prolapse ◽  
De Novo ◽  
Treatment Options ◽  
Reproductive Function ◽  
Pelvic Organ ◽  
Pelvic Organs ◽  
Choice Of Treatment ◽  
Principles Of Treatment

Prolapse of the pelvic organs is a common condition encountered in gynecological practice that adversely affects the quality of life of affected women. It affects millions of women worldwide. The principles of treatment of pelvic organ prolapse include restoring anatomy and vaginal function, correcting associated urinary and or fecal incontinence, and preventing de novo prolapse and incontinence. There are various treatment options for pelvic organ prolapse. These vary from conservative treatments/ mechanical interventions to surgery. The choice of treatment depends on severity of symptoms, patient’s age, parity, and whether there is the need to conserve the uterus for reproductive function. In conclusion, thorough evaluation of symptoms and degree of prolapse is essential in order to provide the best possible treatment and ultimately improve quality of life.

scholarly journals Diagnostic and Therapeutic Challenges in the Management of Intermediate and Frail Elderly Multiple Myeloma Patients

Cancers ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (11) ◽  
pp. 3106
Author(s):  
Francesca Bonello ◽  
Mario Boccadoro ◽  
Alessandra Larocca
Keyword(s):  
Multiple Myeloma ◽  
Elderly Patients ◽  
Treatment Options ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Frailty Status ◽  
Frail Patients ◽  
Multidimensional Evaluation ◽  
Choice Of Treatment ◽  
Choice Of Therapy

Multiple myeloma (MM) mostly affects elderly patients, which represent a highly heterogeneous population. Indeed, comorbidities, frailty status and functional reserve may vary considerably among patients with similar chronological age. For this reason, the choice of treatment goals and intensity is particularly challenging in elderly patients, and it requires a multidimensional evaluation of the patients and the disease. In recent years, different tools to detect patient frailty have been developed, and the International Myeloma Working Group frailty score currently represents the gold standard. It identifies intermediate-fit and frail patients requiring gentler treatment approaches compared to fit patients, aiming to preserve quality of life and prevent toxicities. This subset of patients is underrepresented in clinical trials, and studies exploring frailty-adapted approaches are scarce, making the choice of therapy extremely challenging. Treatment options for intermediate-fit and frail patients might include dose-adapted combinations, doublets, and less toxic combinations based on novel agents. This review analyzes the available tools for the assessment of frailty and possible strategies to improve the discriminative power of the scores and expand their use in real-life and clinical trial settings. Moreover, it addresses the main therapeutic challenges in the management of intermediate-fit and frail MM patients at diagnosis and at relapse.

scholarly journals An Alternative to Current Therapies of Functional Dyspepsia: Self-Administrated Transcutaneous Electroacupuncture Improves Dyspeptic Symptoms

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ting Ji ◽  
Xueliang Li ◽  
Lin Lin ◽  
Liuqin Jiang ◽  
Meifeng Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Gastric Emptying ◽  
Functional Dyspepsia ◽  
Therapeutic Potential ◽  
Treatment Options ◽  
Treatment Method ◽  
Gastric Accommodation ◽  
Dyspeptic Symptoms ◽  
New Treatment

Functional dyspepsia is of high prevalence with little treatment options. The aim of this study was to develop a new treatment method using self-management transcutaneous electroacupuncture (TEA) for functional dyspepsia (FD). Twenty-eight patients with FD were enrolled and underwent a crossover clinical trial with 2-week TEA at ST36 and PC6 and 2-week sham-TEA at nonacupuncture sham-points. Questionnaires were used to assess symptoms of dyspepsia and quality of life. Physiological testing included gastric emptying and electrogastrography. It was found that (1) TEA but not sham-TEA significantly improved dyspeptic symptoms and 4 domains in quality of life; improvement was also noted in self-rated anxiety and depression scores; (2) gastric emptying was significantly and substantially increased with 2-week TEA but not sham-TEA; and (3) gastric accommodation was also improved with TEA but not sham-TEA, reflected as increased ingested nutrient volumes at the levels of satiety and maximum tolerance. These findings suggest a therapeutic potential of self-administrated TEA method for functional dyspepsia, possibly attributed to improvement in gastric motility.

scholarly journals New treatment options of chronic urticaria

2021 ◽  
Vol 97 (5) ◽  
pp. 266-272
Author(s):  
Bernadett Hidvégi ◽  
◽  
Lilla Mihályi
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Chronic Urticaria ◽  
Treatment Options ◽  
Multifactorial Disease ◽  
2Nd Generation ◽  
New Treatment

Chronic urticaria is a multifactorial disease with increasing prevalence, that significantly deteriorates the quality of life of patients. Authors describe the pathomechanism of the disease, and they present the currently available treatment options and the promising future therapies as well. The therapeutic basis of chronic urticaria is the modern, 2nd generation antihistamines in a dosage of even four times higher than the regular one. In therapy resistant cases omalizumab or cyclosporin is advised. There is a growing demand for new medications because the number of those patients , who are non-responders or do not respond adequately to these therapies, is definitely increasing.

The role of general surgery in the palliative care of patients with cancer

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian Badgwell ◽  
Robert S. Krouse
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Treatment Options ◽  
Symptom Control ◽  
Palliative Surgery ◽  
Common Symptom ◽  
Life Outcomes ◽  
Patients With Cancer ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Patient Reported

Palliative surgery is defined as surgical intervention in patients with incurable malignancy for symptoms attributable to their cancer. A considerable percentage of consultations at major cancer centres are palliative in nature, resulting in 13-21% of all operations meeting the criteria for palliative surgery. Common symptom groups for evaluation include gastrointestinal obstruction, wound problems/infections, gastrointestinal bleeding, and obstructive jaundice. This chapter outlines the indications, treatment options, and outcomes for these diagnoses and a few less common indications for surgical consultation. Clinical trials are infrequent in this population and there is a paucity of prospective studies with quality of life outcomes measures. Most studies focus on morbidity and mortality as palliative surgery has long been recognized as having increased risk for complications, although recent studies suggest an improvement in this regard. The benefits of palliative surgery should focus on quality of life, symptom control, and symptom prevention. Future studies will be needed to determine the definitions of success and hopefully include patient-reported outcomes assessment.

Advances in Oncology Care

2011 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 323-334
Author(s):  
Kristi Beatty ◽  
Chris Winkelman ◽  
Joseph A. Bokar ◽  
Polly Mazanec
Keyword(s):  
Intensive Care ◽  
Cancer Care ◽  
Treatment Options ◽  
Survival Rates ◽  
Patients With Cancer ◽  
Therapy Targets ◽  
Life Threatening ◽  
Oncology Care ◽  
New Treatment

The start of the 21st century has produced advances in cancer care that have improved both survival rates and quality of life for many persons diagnosed with cancer. Targeted therapy has given new hope for controlling cancer as a chronic illness. Alone, or in combination with traditional therapies such as surgery, radiation, and/or chemotherapy, this new form of therapy targets malignant cells, halting tumor growth and the potential metastatic spread of disease. Toxicities are limited, but some are serious and may require intensive care. It is imperative for the experienced critical care nurse to have an understanding of these new treatment options and those on the horizon, as these therapies are the future of cancer care. Whereas in previous decades, patients with cancer may not have survived an intensive care admission for treatment complications or advanced disease, many patients now are recovering from life-threatening events, continuing treatment for their disease, and going on to live meaningful, good-quality lives.

Cannabinoids for Symptom Management in Patients with Kidney Failure

2022 ◽  
pp. CJN.11560821
Author(s):  
Hayley Worth ◽  
Daniel O'Hara ◽  
Neeru Agarwal ◽  
David Collister ◽  
Frank Brennan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Kidney Failure ◽  
Cannabinoid Receptors ◽  
Treatment Options ◽  
Symptom Relief ◽  
Symptom Burden ◽  
Poor Quality ◽  
The Body ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
New Treatment

People with kidney failure can experience a range of symptoms that lead to suffering and poor quality of life. Available therapies are limited, and evidence for new treatment options is sparse, often resulting in incomplete relief of symptoms. There is growing interest in the potential for cannabinoids, including cannabidiol and tetrahydrocannabinol, to treat symptoms across a wide range of chronic diseases. As legal prohibitions are withdrawn or minimized in many jurisdictions, patients are increasingly able to access these agents. Cannabinoid receptors, CB1 and CB2, are widely expressed in the body, including within the nervous and immune systems, and exogenous cannabinoids can have anxiolytic, anti-emetic, analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects. Considering their known physiological actions and successful studies in other patient populations, cannabinoids may be viewed as potential therapies for a variety of common symptoms affecting those with kidney failure, including pruritus, nausea, insomnia, chronic neuropathic pain, anorexia, and restless legs syndrome. In this review, we summarize the pharmacology and pharmacokinetics of cannabinoids, along with what is known about the use of cannabinoids for symptom relief in those with kidney disease, and the evidence available concerning their role in management of common symptoms. Presently, while these agents show varying efficacy with a reasonable safety profile in other patient populations, evidence-based prescribing of cannabinoids for people with symptomatic kidney failure is not possible. Given the symptom burden experienced by individuals with kidney failure, there is an urgent need to understand the tolerability and safety of these agents in this population, which must ultimately be followed by robust, randomized controlled trials to determine if they are effective for symptom relief.

scholarly journals Dementia post-radiotherapy: improvement with acetylcholinesterase inhibitor A case report

2009 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 68-72
Author(s):  
Antonio Eduardo Damin ◽  
Lílian S. Morillo ◽  
Tíbor Rilho Perroco ◽  
Wilson Jacob Filho ◽  
Cássio Machado de Campos Bottino
Keyword(s):  
Behavioral Problems ◽  
Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitor ◽  
Treatment Options ◽  
Late Complication ◽  
Severe Dementia ◽  
Behavioral Impairments ◽  
New Treatment ◽  
Frontal Lesions ◽  
Positive Effect

Abstract Cognitive decline associated with radiotherapy is a progressive complication that affects many patients submitted to this form of treatment. The lack of an effective treatment drives research for new treatment options to improve the quality of life of patients with this disorder. We report the case of a 64 year-old man who developed a severe dementia of the frontal subcortical type, which was associated with subcortical frontal lesions and appeared as a late complication of radiotherapy used to treat a pituitary tumor. After many pharmacological attempts to improve his cognitive and behavioral problems, the patient showed a significant improvement in the cognitive, functional and behavioral impairments after treatment with an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor. This report discusses hypotheses for the positive effect of this treatment.

scholarly journals Modern Treatments and Stem Cell Therapies for Perianal Crohn’s Fistulas

2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alghalya Khalid Sulaiman Al-Maawali ◽  
Phuong Nguyen ◽  
P. Terry Phang
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cells ◽  
Treatment Options ◽  
Success Rates ◽  
Hematopoietic Stem ◽  
Cell Therapies ◽  
Topical Tacrolimus ◽  
Complex Disorder ◽  
Fistula Plug ◽  
Variable Success

Crohn’s disease (CD) is a complex disorder with important incidence in North America. Perianal fistulas occur in about 20% of patients with CD and are almost always classified as complex fistulas. Conventional treatment options have shown different success rates, yet there are data indicating that these approaches cannot achieve total cure and may not improve quality of life of these patients. Fibrin glue, fistula plug, topical tacrolimus, local injection of infliximab, and use of hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) and mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) are newly suggested therapies with variable success rates. Here, we aim to review these novel therapies for the treatment of complex fistulizing CD. Although initial results are promising, randomized studies are needed to prove efficacy of these approaches in curing fistulizing perianal CD.

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