Comment: Assisted suicide - the 2012 round
Rob George
pp 213-213
Attempts to legalise physician-assisted suicide in the UK occur annually. Campaigns are increasingly subtle, broadranging and media-based. Sadly, this means that reflective, considered dialogue and a sustained attempt to engage with those who feel that to be killed is the only solution to their suffering is being drowned out.
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Symptoms in advanced cancer: the influence of sex, age, Karnofsky Performance Status and PaP score
Giampiero Porzio, Federica Aielli, Marco Valenti, Lucilla Verna, Enrico Ricevuto, Katia Cannita, Paolo Aloisi and Corrado Ficorella
pp 214-217
Treatment of symptoms is a key point of modern oncology; symptoms should be evaluated and treated in all patients, regardless of the stage of disease. Several papers have been dedicated to the prevalence of symptoms in advanced cancer patients; however, other factors associated with symptom prevalence have not been studied in depth.
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Non-invasive ventilation in management of end-stage COPD: the implications for palliative care
Nadia Khan and Dan Munday
pp 218-221
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the third most common cause of UK mortality, and is predicted to become a leading cause of global morbidity over the next 20 years. Patients with COPD typically suffer breathlessness, cough, reduced exercise tolerance and, as the disease progresses, type II (hypoxic/hypercapnic) respiratory failure.
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Case study masterclass 64: Recognising the palliative care needs of a patient with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis
Sabrina Bajwah and Donna Louise Laird
pp 222-223
Peter is a 55-year-old painter–decorator. He lives with his wife Anne in a three-bedroom house. Three years ago, Peter gradually started to become short of breath on minimal exertion. In addition, he developed a persistent cough. Peter visited his GP a number of times, and was treated with antibiotics. He was sent for a chest X-ray, which appeared to be normal. Over the next year, he continued to slowly deteriorate and his shortness of breath worsened.
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Case study masterclass 63 answers: Using a lidocaine patch for pain from a broken rib
Verity Rawson and Carol Davis
pp 224-224
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Artificial feeding in terminally ill cancer patients with bowel obstruction
Nicholas Herodotou
pp 225-228
Malnourishment is a state of nutritional deficiency. NICE guidance1 recommends that nutritional support should be considered in people at risk of malnutrition, such as those who have not eaten for more than five days, or who have poor absorptive capacity. There follow three reports of patients whose terminal malignancy caused irreversible bowel obstruction. There are ethical, practical and health economic questions whether palliative cancer patients within the last month or so of life who have malignant bowel obstruction should be more aggressively treated in order to maximise their quality of life.
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The European Association for Palliative Care Early Researcher Award – reflections on winning
Lucy Selman, Matthew Maddocks and Stephanie Stiel
pp 229-231
In June 2012, the European Association for Palliative Care (EAPC) held its 7th World Research Congress in Trondheim, Norway. Among the papers presented were those of the winners of the EAPC Early Researcher Award. Formerly known as the Young Investigator Award, the Early Researcher Award recognises the achievements of young researchers and clinicians working in the field of palliative care, highlighting their work and career.
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A pan-European survey on palliative care development from an EAPC Task Force
Thomas Lynch, Carlos Centeno, Javier Rocafort, Oana Donea and David Clark
pp 232-236
It is only relatively recently that studies and initiatives that generate comparative analyses of palliative care development within European countries and contexts have begun to occur. One such initiative is the European Association for Palliative Care Task Force on the Development of Palliative Care in Europe, which was founded in 2003 under the leadership of Professor Carlos Centeno. The work of the Task Force encompasses the World Health Organization European Region (a vast geographic area of 53 countries, with a population of 879 million people).
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The 7th World Research Congress of the EAPC: through the lens of an early African researcher
Eve Namisango and Richard A Powell
pp 238-240
Dr Anne Merriman, the founder of Hospice Africa Uganda, once remarked, ‘Clinical and health service audit and research is desperately needed so that we can establish how best to deliver palliative care in the resource-poor setting, and to establish an information base relevant to the developing world’. Research has always played a critical role in the development of palliative care.
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Health, sickness, medicine, life and death in Muslim belief and practice
Usama Hasan
pp 241-245
The fundamental declaration of faith in Islam is ‘La ilaha illallah’: ‘There is no god but God.’ The ‘remembrance of God’ (dhikr Allah) – referring every matter to its divine origin – is key to the Muslim psyche. This is true of life and death, health and sickness – life and death are caused by God: ‘It is He Himself who causes death and life’. Adult life is a period of testing by God: ‘He Who created death and life, that He may try which of you is best in deed’. Thus, human life is only valuable inasmuch as it allows for ‘righteous deeds’ or positive contributions and actions.
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Polish prisoners as hospice–palliative care volunteers
Piotr Krakowiak, Agnieszka Paczkowska and Robert Witkowski
pp 246-251
Palliative care in prisons was introduced in the USA. The first programme was established in 1987 at the US Medical Center for Federal Prisoners in Springfield, Missouri. Professional prison hospice care systems were created and used in the USA and elsewhere. In 1998, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation initiated a programme promoting hospice care in prisons. Its premise was for prisoners to volunteer to care for fellow inmates at the end of life – concentrating on providing help within the penal system.
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A day in the life of … David Glenister, Art Therapist
David Glenister
pp 252-253
On the tram to work, I begin reading an article on the theme of the importance of environment and art in healthcare, one of my pet subjects and obliquely concerning a patient I hope to work with today. I don’t get very far, as the woman sitting next to me suddenly asks me about it and begins to tell me about her nephew who has a degenerative illness and resides in an institution. She wants support and pastoral care.
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European insight: Development of Spanish palliative care and the role of SECPAL
Javier Rocafort and Maria Nabal
pp 254-256
The Spanish Association for Palliative Care (Sociedad Española de Cuidados Paliativos, SECPAL) is a scientific society that was established in 1992, founded by a small group of pioneers in palliative care who had been taught in UK hospices. Nowadays, SECPAL has 1,818 members, including doctors, psychologists, nurses, social workers, physiotherapists, spiritual agents and other professionals – not counting volunteers.
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