Volume 11, Number 3
 

A meeting point between palliative and supportive care

European professionals involved in the care of patients in the palliative phase of an illness may ask themselves: what difference can there be between the terms ‘palliative care’ and ‘supportive care’?

Can palliative care improve the symptoms during the terminal phase of dementia?

Mari Lloyd-Williams and Marilène Filbet examine the need to build partnerships between the providers of care for patients with dementia and palliative care services

Establishing a multidisciplinary model for supportive care

Ivan Krakowski, François Boureau, Roland Bugat and colleagues suggest a model for the co-ordination of supportive care for all serious illnesses in France

How common are auditory hallucinations in palliative care?

Elizabeth Freshwater and Pamela Choudhury report on a case of a patient presenting with continuous auditory hallucinations and suggest potential treatment options

Measuring quality of life in patients with advanced cancer

Jonathan Rees, Ruaraidh MacDonagh, Dympna Waldron and Ciaran O’Boyle analyse the response shift in the quality of life of patients with advanced prostate cancer

Scott’s Parabola applied to palliative care

Andrew Davies considers the need for an evidence base in palliative care

The cancer care triangle

Kyriaki Mystakidou, Eleni Tsilika, Efi Parpa, Lambros Vlahos and Elizabeth Patiraki discuss outcomes of research into communication among the cancer care’s core triangle: patients, families, and healthcare professionals

The case study masterclass: Case 15. A man with metastatic malignant melanoma and nausea

Brian is a 66-year-old retired electrician. He lives with his wife who is fit and well. Both their children are married and live locally; his daughter-in-law is being treated with second-line chemotherapy for ovarian cancer. Six years ago, his GP removed a small mole from his back. Histological analysis revealed that it was a melanoma and he went on to undergo a wide surgical excision. At that point, he believed that he was cured.

The growth of palliative care for children in Latvia

Anthea Hare and Anna Gorchakova look at the development of palliative care for children in Latvia and examine its history and future challenges

Topical opioids for painful skin ulcers: do they work?

Giovambattista Zeppetella reviews the application of topical opioids for painful skin ulcers in the palliative care setting

What do doctors actually do in the day hospice?

Sarah White and Miriam Johnson present the findings of an undergraduate study looking at the role of the doctor in a day hospice