Palliative care emergencies in hospitalized patients Book Section

  


Authors: Glare, P.; Griffo, Y.; Alickaj, A.; Egan, B.
Editors: Pantilat, S.; Anderson, W.; Gonzales, M.; Widera, E.
Article/Chapter Title: Palliative care emergencies in hospitalized patients
Abstract: Most treatment of cancer and other chronic illnesses occurs in the ambulatory setting, and hospitalizations are generally unplanned admissions for acute problems. But what constitutes a real emergency in a patient with far advanced disease and limited disease-controlling options? It is important to differentiate between emergent symptoms, such as acute breathlessness, and an emergent medical condition, such as hypercalcemia, which may not be symptomatic. Emergent uncontrolled symptoms can and should always be reversed but emergent medical conditions need not always be treated in this population. Determining the right kind of response for the individual patient is complex and gets to the heart of palliative medicine as a concept. In this chapter, we focus on these issues in cancer patients. In addition to the traditional oncologic emergencies such as spinal cord compression, imminent pathological fracture, and superior vena caval obstruction, we discuss other emergent problems that may be encountered in palliative care patients such as acute massive hemorrhage, overnarcotization, coding without a DNR order in place, and dealing with an angry family on the floor. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
Keywords: palliative care; spinal cord compression; families; hemorrhage; emergencies; pathologic fracture; respiratory depression; code status; iatrogenic drug overdose
Book Title: Hospital-Based Palliative Medicine: A Practical, Evidence-Based Approach
ISBN: 978-1-118-77257-7
Publisher: Wiley Blackwell  
Publication Place: Hoboken, NJ
Date Published: 2015-01-01
Start Page: 169
End Page: 194
Language: English
DOI: 10.1002/9781118772607.ch13
PROVIDER: scopus
DOI/URL:

https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85018950683&doi=10.1002%2f9781118772607.ch13&partnerID=40&md5=190c5192e706880608d43edf7f3fb615
Notes: Book Chapter: 13 -- Export Date: 2 June 2017 -- Source: Scopus
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MSK Authors
  1. Barbara Egan
    15 Egan
  2. Yvona Griffo
    8 Griffo
  3. Paul A Glare
    61 Glare
  4. Alberta Alickaj
    4 Alickaj
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