Pediatric Pain And Symptom Management Algorithms For Palliative Care

Hospice care is one of the fastest-growing segments of the U. S. healthcare system, a trend that is expected to accelerate as the median age of the population continues to rise over the next three decades. Despite over forty percent of the population now dying while on hospice care, very little has been published on the ethical opportunities and challenges experienced in the everyday lives of those giving and receiving hospice care. This book is the first comprehensive collection devoted to analyzing distinctive ethical issues arising in the delivery of hospice care and designed to promote best ethical practices for hospice care professionals and organizations. Thirteen newly commissioned chapters by seventeen hospice experts populate three thematic sections of the book, each devoted to an aspect of the intersection between ethics and hospice care. Contributors have unique qualifications and abilities to articulate and respond to ethically significant phenomena that -- while not always unique to hospice care -- arise in especially poignant and complex ways when caring for patients enrolled in hospice. As the shift or return to home-based care at the end of life continues, hospice professionals and programs will be faced with a broader array of terminal illnesses, cultural beliefs and traditions, and patient and family values than ever before. Hospice will no longer be tailored solely to the final stage of cancer, but will need to accommodate patients whose illnesses are variable in their progression and whose treatment plans include many medical options. The ethical orientations and frameworks that have served hospice for the past 50 years will need to be supplemented and refined if hospice is to fulfill this changing social mission. Hospice Ethics explores a new paradigm for hospice ethics from a multi-disciplinary and provides an important educational resource for professional training in end of life care.

All children have a right to appropriate prevention, assessment andcontrol of their pain. Managing Pain in Children is anevidence-based, practical guide to care in all areas of children'spain management, providing nurses and other health carepractitioners with the skills and expertise necessary to managechildren's pain effectively. The text first explores the relevant anatomy and physiology ofchildren, the latest policy guidelines surrounding pain managementand ethical issues involved in managing children's pain. It thengoes on to look at the various pain assessment tools available forchildren and non-drug methods of pain relief. The text then goes onto apply these pain management principles to practice in relationto acute pain, chronic pain, palliative care and the management ofprocedural pain. Each of these chapters covers the evidence base,assessment techniques, pain relieving interventions, and guidancefor best practice in both hospital and community settings. Special features: Practical and accessible, with 'best practice' points in eachchapter Written in the context of latest policy developments Provides the necessary evidence-base for care throughout With contributions from experts in the field

For the first time, Pediatric Clinics is devoting one issue to two clinically focused topics: Pediatric Palliative Care and Pediatric Hospital Medicine. Dr. Ottolini has organized her section to focus on a variety of issues of relevant to all pediatricians, but which pose special challenge to the Pediatric Hospitalists. As pediatric care has advanced, children who would not have survived infancy are growing into young adults with complex chronic diseases and dependence upon technology. They frequently require hospitalization to address exacerbation of underlying disease processes and procedures to improve their quality of life. The articles are devoted to patient care challenges of troubleshooting malfunctioning technology, co-managing medically complex patients pre and post-op with surgical colleagues, and the Hospitalist's evolving role in performing procedures and sedation in this population of vulnerable patients. Also discussed rare strategies to maximize communication with parents, patients and primary care providers during hospitalization, especially for medically complex patients. Dr. Ullrich and Dr. Wolfe Pediatric have worked to bring relevant articles on palliative care to the pediatrician. While life-threatening conditions in childhood are rare, children with LTC account for a high proportion of pediatric hospital care, and about one half of such children die in the inpatient setting. The number of hospital-based pediatric palliative care programs has increased dramatically over the past decade to meet the palliative care needs of hospitalized children including symptom management, facilitation of communication, decision-making and advance care planning support, and coordination of care. Given these considerations, it is evident that the topics of pediatric palliative care and hospital medicine are fitting counterparts for this comprehensive issue.

This book is a printed edition of the Special Issue "Pediatric Palliative Care" that was published in Children

Pediatric Palliative Care Consultant (PPCC) was designed to provide practical recommendations for palliative symptom management in pediatric patients. The aim of this guide is to equip all practitioners who care for pediatric patients with chronic life-limiting conditions, whether they have pediatric-specific training, or rarely see a pediatric patient. For those experienced in treating pediatric patients, this book may be used as a resource for support of current practice and a quick reference guide. For those who only occasionally treat pediatric patients, this book may be used as a learning guide and a resource to ensure symptoms are appropriately treated. For educators, this book may be used as a training guide to address the basics of pediatric palliative care and assist learners in developing a comprehensive plan for symptom management.

"A case-based clinical handbook, [Palliative Care for Infants, Children, and Adolescents] combines a pragmatic approach to symptom management with a humanitarian approach emphasizing more abstract issues such as psychological support for both patient and caregiver." -- SciTech Book News "This practical guide provides professionals involved in pediatric end-of-life care with comprehensive information for hands-on care in a single volume." -- Home Health Care Nurse