Validation of an Arabic Questionnaire for Symptom Assessment.

Background: Impeccable assessment of symptoms is central to palliative care (PC) practice.

Objectives: The study objectives are (1) to test the validity of the Arabic Questionnaire for Symptom Assessment (AQSA) as a self-administered (SA) tool for assessing the severity of the listed symptoms among PC patients and (2) to test the validity of AQSA when completed by a proxy.

Methods: The AQSA is a tool for assessing the severity of 11 symptoms in addition to the overall suffering experience on a 0 to 10 numeric scale.

Using Neuroleptics to Treat Delirium in Dying Cancer Patients at a Cancer Center in Saudi Arabia.

Neuroleptics are commonly used for treating delirium as a common problem in terminally ill cancer patients. However, prescribing patterns are believed to substantially vary among health professionals. The aim of this study is to determine the pattern of prescribing neuroleptics for treating delirium in cancer patients dying in a palliative care unit in Saudi Arabia.