Fatigue in adults with cancer has received considerable attention as a troublesome symptom that requires nursing intervention. Fatigue in children with cancer, however, has received considerably less focus. The first phase of the present study used…
This article presents the findings of a study that explored documentation surrounding the end-of-life care of children with cancer. An in-depth history audit of 18 children with cancer, who died from disease progression at a single tertiary…
There has been a dramatic change in the therapeutic approach to patients with Paget's disease of bone over the last 40 years. In the 1960s, only symptomatic therapy could be given, with control of pain the main objective. Analgesics and nonsteroidal…
Osteogenesis imperfecta is a heterogeneous group of inherited disorders chiefly affecting type I collagen, resulting in bone fragility responsible for a host of recurrent fractures. Limb and spine deformities, growth failure and restricted mobility…
Background: The anticonvulsant gabapentin has proven effective for neuropathic pain in three large placebo-controlled clinical trials. Experimental and clinical studies have demonstrated antihyperalgesic effects in models involving central neuronal…
Despite repeated initiatives over the past decade, migraine remains under-recognised, under-diagnosed and under-treated in everyday clinical practice. The Migraine in Primary Care Advisors (MIPCA) group has produced new guidelines for migraine…
The objective of this study was to determine whether having a hospice unit within the hospital increases the proportion of terminally ill patients who use hospice services (including home, nursing home, or inpatient hospice) post-admission. Using…
BACKGROUND: Velocardiofacial syndrome (VCFS), a genetic deletion condition with numerous cognitive sequelae, is associated with a high rate of psychiatric disorders in childhood. More recently, VCFS has been identified as a high-risk factor for…
CONTEXT: End-of-life care is an important yet underdeveloped component of pediatric hospital services. OBJECTIVES: We sought 1) to describe the demographics of children who die in children's hospitals, 2) to describe the prevalence of complex chronic…
OBJECTIVE: Little is known about factors that influence whether children with chronic conditions die at home. We sought to test whether deaths attributable to underlying complex chronic conditions (CCCs) were increasingly occurring at home and to…
How should researchers reflexively evaluation ways in which intersubjective elements transform their research? The process of engaging in reflexivity is full of muddy ambiguity and multiple trails as researchers negotiate the swamp of interminable…
Sanfilippo syndrome (mucopolysaccharidosis type III) is the commonest mucoploysaccharidosis. It causes neurodegeneration with often profound sleep and behavioral disturbance. Management of the sleep disturbance is difficult and inconsistent. In this…
Sanfilippo syndrome (mucopolysaccharidosis type III) is the commonest mucoploysaccharidosis. It causes neurodegeneration with often profound sleep and behavioral disturbance. Management of the sleep disturbance is difficult and inconsistent. In this…
BACKGROUND: Earlier studies have yielded inconsistent findings regarding gender differences with respect to burden and depression among informal community caregivers of dementia patients. OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to determine whether or…
This article explores the concepts of narrative as story, of storytelling, and of the narrative approach to qualitative research. Within this, I will also examine the social nature of narrative and the implications of this for research. I will look…
Morphine is the strong opioid of choice in the management of moderate-to-severe chronic cancer pain. The preferred route of administration is oral, in individually titrated doses, regularly scheduled around the clock We conducted a retrospective…
Acute colonic pseudo-obstruction (ie, Ogilvie's syndrome) is an uncommon but serious condition in the pediatric population. Definitive management traditionally has consisted of endoscopic decompression. Recent studies have documented the…
BACKGROUND: Intensivists must provide enough analgesia and sedation to ensure dying patients receive good palliative care. However, if it is perceived that too much is given, they risk prosecution for committing euthanasia. The goal of this study is…
To determine whether hospital-based palliative care teams improve the process or outcomes of care for patients and families at the end of life, a systematic literature review was performed employing a qualitative meta-synthesis and quantitative…
BACKGROUND: Insomnia, a subjective complaint of poor sleep and associated impairment in daytime function, is a common problem. Currently, benzodiazepines are the most used pharmacological treatment for this complaint. They are considered helpful for…
The belief that loss can result in growth has been hypothesized for centuries.Yet, traditional grief theories have viewed grief work as a process of resolving grief and returning to normal. Formal conceptualizations of grief to growth models have…
This prospective study of consecutive patients describes the palliative medicine consult service in a tertiary level cancer center and its impact on patient care. All inpatients/outpatients referred to the Palliative Medicine Program in a 4-month…
OBJECTIVE: Reported survival after cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in children varies considerably. We aimed to identify predictors of 1-year survival and to assess long-term neurological status after in- or outpatient CPR. DESIGN: Retrospective…
INTRODUCTION: A service established in October 1998 aimed to provide nursing and psychological support in the community to families with children who have non-malignant life-threatening illnesses. The purpose of this study was to conduct a pragmatic…
This paper reviews relevant international and New Zealand literature, policy documents and reports on respite provision for children who are dying and their families. The literature describes why respite care for children is necessary, and evaluates…
We studied 42 individuals, including 8 patients with either complete or partial syndrome of mitochondrial myopathy, encephalopathy, lactic acidosis and stroke-like episodes (MELAS), 8 patients with either complete or partial syndrome of myoclonic…
Researchers have argued that individuals who show self-restraint are more likely to show self-injurious behavior (SIB) that is compulsive. Self-injurious behavior, self-restraint, and compulsive behaviors have been described as features of Cornelia…
The concordance of nasal compared with nasopharyngeal swabs was assessed for the diagnosis of respiratory viral infections, and the degree of discomfort associated with each procedure was compared. The use of nasal swabs was shown to be as accurate…
Improvement in the care of dying hospitalized patients was sought by providing evaluative feedback to individual physicians (n = 46) and nurses in three biannual _Palliative Care Reports._ Hospitalized adult patients (n = 194) for whom _death was…
Endomorphin (EM)-1 and EM-2 are tetrapeptides with high affinity and selectivity for the micro-opioid receptor. We have utilized specific radioimmunoassays to characterize EM-1 and EM-2 in immune tissues from normal human subjects and from rats with…
Systematic assessment of the effect of clinical research studies on child and parent participants has been limited. Such assessment could provide an empirical basis for the ethical conduct of research, assisting investigators and institutional review…
