Canuck Place, North America's first free-standing pediatric hospice of its kind, opened in 1995 in British Columbia, Canada. The province-wide program encompasses a broad spectrum of services intended to support community-based care and provide…
Although increasing attention is being focused on the emotional aspects of caring for dying children and their families, few research reports concentrate on the experiences of mothers, particularly in different countries. This article describes the…
Theoretical models of the adjustment process following loss and trauma have emphasized the critical role that finding meaning plays. Yet evidence in support of these models is meager, and definitions of meaning have been too broad to facilitate a…
PURPOSE: The aims of this study were to describe the analgesia, side effects, and dosage and the causes of suspension of treatment in a large sample of advanced cancer patients with pain after treatment with oral methadone from 7 to 90 days. PATIENTS…
The relation between the timing of do-not-resuscitate (DNR) orders and the cost of medical care is not well understood. This prospective observational study compares hospital costs and length of stay of 265 terminally ill patients with admission DNR…
Consensus exists that a do-not-attempt-resuscitation order (DNAR) is appropriate if a resuscitation attempt is futile. Less agreement exists when this point is reached. We investigated the influence of three major considerations for in-hospital DNAR…
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effectiveness of sodium diclofenac and sodium salicylate applied by topical iontophoresis and to compare them in the treatment of lateral epicondylitis. SUBJECTS: Forty patients with lateral epicondylitis were randomized…
This project investigated siblings' perceptions of family disruption when a brother or sister had cystic fibrosis (CF) or asthma. Data were gathered by phone interviews and questionnaires. Phone interviews were conducted with siblings of chronically…
This manuscript reviews the use of an off-line combination of liquid chromatography (LC) and mass spectrometry (MS) to quantify endogenous neuropeptides in biological tissues and fluids, and tandem MS (MS/MS) to optimize the molecular specificity of…
BACKGROUND: Responsible, shared decision making on the part of physicians and patients about the potential use of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) requires patients who are educated about the procedure's risks and benefits. Television is an…
Caring for patients at the end of life presents a series of quality-of-care problems to the health care system. In the past, concern has focused on overaggressive treatment of dying patients. Given rapid changes in the financing and delivery of care,…
Direct conversion from oral morphine to transdermal fentanyl with a ratio of oral morphine/transdermal fentanyl (100:1 mg) daily was examined in patients with cancer pain. Patients with a 'stable and low level of cancer pain' receiving a constant…
A pilot study of telenursing for terminally ill patients at home was launched as a collaborative effort between KUMC and the Kendallwood Hospice. The service used the public telephone network. Interactive video equipment was installed in the homes of…
The purpose of this article is to describe the implementation and evaluation of a quality improvement process to improve pain management in a hospice setting. A retrospective chart audit of 702 patient visits pre- and 536 patient visits…
This study examined the range, distinctiveness, and correlates of maladaptive behavior in 146 subjects with 5p- (cri du chat) syndrome using the Aberrant Behavior Checklist as a standardized measure. Hyperactivity was the most significant and…
Objectives - It has been assumed that the sterotyped hand movements in Rett syndrome are symmetrical, midline and that they prevent purposeful use of the hands. Their relationship with respiration has not been previously explored. Material and…
The Delphi technique enables the structuring of group opinion and discussion using a survey approach, maintaining the anonymity of panel members and preventing contamination of individual responses through peer pressure. The Delphi technique was used…
This study is concerned with dynamic processes that underly the rapid, degenerative changes associated with the "dying" stage of the multicellular organism's life cycle. The interaction between negative and positive feedback cycles is discussed:…
This retrospective study includes 65 children treated for status epilepticus at Tampere University Hospital in Finland. Aetiology of the condition, effectiveness of the treatment protocol, including short barbiturate anaesthesia to prevent prolonged…
To evaluate the effectiveness of intravenous clodronate in ameliorating refractory bone pain in patients with metastatic bone disease, 60 patients with established osseous metastases and persistent bone pain were randomized to receive either…
The aim of the study was to evaluate the efficacy and the incidence of clinically significant adverse drug reactions (ADRs) in paediatric patients receiving continuous intravenous morphine infusions for acute postoperative pain. Definitions were…
In appropriately selected patients, PCA safely provides analgesia superior to that obtained with traditional IM prn opioid administration; however, to date, no compelling evidence shows that PCA is associated with a reduction in morbidity or a more…
This review addresses some of the methodological, theoretical and technical issues related to using satisfaction as an outcome measure of the quality of palliative care. The components of palliative care are presented, and the different approaches…
OBJECTIVES: The focus of this review was on proteins and peptides found in saliva. Of greatest interest were those neuropeptides relevant to nociception and to the pathogenesis of chronic pain syndromes. An additional goal was to develop a…
