Volume 15, Number 3
 

A skills course for volunteer bereavement counsellors

When a hospice in Hartlepool decided to run formal training sessions for volunteers for its bereavement service, it approached the University of Teesside for help. Ann French and Hilary Minter report on the success of the course that resulted from this collaboration

How effective are parenteral antibiotics in hospice patients?

Elinor Brabin and Leslie Allsopp report on a study looking at the use of parenteral antibiotics in a specialist palliative care unit and their role in terminally ill patients

How to ensure good quality palliative care: a Spanish model

In the first of a two-part series, Xavier Gómez-Batiste, Frank Ferris, Josep Maria Picaza, Silvia Paz, Jose Espinosa, Josep Porta-Sales and Joaquim Esperalba describe a model for the evaluation and improvement of the quality of care for patients with terminal illness

Morphine metabolites: a review of their clinical effects

Sophy Gretton and Julia Riley consider the contribution of morphine metabolites to analgesia and morphine-induced side-effects in patients

Syringe driver site reactions: a review of the literature

Despite the common use of syringe drivers in palliative care, there is still a lack of clear information on the incidence of site reactions, and on how to manage or prevent them. Jennie Pickard, Kath Mitchell and Dai Roberts report on their findings

The case for training to deal with end-of-life experiences

End-of-life experiences are not uncommon and have been shown to help the dying. It is time to recognise them in palliative care training, say Sue Brayne and Peter Fenwick

The case study masterclass: Case 38. Severe tenesmus and anal pain as a result of radiotherapy

Mrs Smith is an 81-year-old widow who lives on her own. She has led a fit and active life. She enjoys line dancing and is a member of a local walking club. Eight months previously, she suffered a stroke from which she recovered well and had an Eastern Co-operative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status of 1. Her medical history included atrial fibrillation and hypertension. She developed symptoms of rectal bleeding and a change in bowel habit over a two-month period. Following investigation, she was diagnosed with anal squamous cell carcinoma. No metastases were found. She attended the oncology clinic accompanied by her brother.

The EAPC Research Network meets in Trondheim

The European Association for Palliative Care (EAPC) is about to hold its 5th Research Forum, in Trondheim, Norway. Two of the leading figures in the Association, Augusto Caraceni and Stein Kaasa, outline the importance of research in palliative care

Who’s afraid of palliative care?

The palliative care movement is still in its infancy. Although the idea is now widely publicised, many people who need such care experience difficulties accessing it, even in countries where it is well developed. Lack of opioids, lack of education and training, and lack of care institutions are among the obvious problems that have been identified by the World Health Organization.

Why dying at home indicates unmet needs in Colombia

Death at home is usually seen as a good thing. Is this true in Colombia? As Jairo Moyano and Sofia Carolina Zambrano report, research there has shown that dying at home is more likely to be a reflection of the patient’s adverse socioeconomic status than a choice