Gabapentin for the treatment of pain manifestations in children with severe neurological impairment: a single-centre retrospective review.

Pain, irritability and feeding intolerance are common symptoms affecting quality of life in children with severe neurological impairment (SNI). We performed a retrospective study to explore the use of gabapentinoid medications for symptom control in children with SNI. Patients attending the palliative care or gastroenterology department being treated with gabapentin for irritability, vomiting or pain of unknown origin were included.

Referrals to a perinatal specialist palliative care consult service in Ireland, 2012-2015.

Objective: To analyse the referral patterns of perinatal patients referred to a specialist palliative care service (SPCS), their demographics, diagnoses, duration of illness, place of death and symptom profile.

Design: A retrospective chart review of all perinatal referrals over a 4-year period to the end of 2015.

Setting: A consultant-led paediatric SPCS at Our Lady's Children's Hospital, Crumlin, Dublin, and the Coombe Women & Infants University Hospital, Dublin.

Prioritisation of future research topics in paediatric palliative care in Ireland: a Delphi study.

This paper reports the findings from a Delphi Study undertaken to identify the research priorities in children's palliative care in Ireland. Palliative care for children is a small and highly specialised field of healthcare that focuses on improving the quality of life of children living with, or dying from, a life-limiting condition. Ideally, support for children requiring palliative care begins at the time of diagnosis, which for many children with life-limiting conditions can be from birth.

Paediatric palliative care: development and pilot study of a 'Directory' of life-limiting conditions.

Background: Children's palliative care services are developing. Rational service development requires sound epidemiological data that are difficult to obtain owing to ambiguity in the definitions both of the population who needs palliative care and of palliative care itself. Existing definitions are of trajectory archetypes.

The use of complementary and alternative medicine by irish pediatric cancer patients.

Introduction: The use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in the Irish pediatric cancer setting has not previously been established.

Methods: To investigate the prevalence and predictors of CAM use in this group of patients, an anonymous cross-sectional survey was offered to all carers of patients either on or off treatment for malignancy at a single pediatric cancer center over an 8-week period.

Results: Of a total of 220 questionnaires distributed, 98 (43%) were returned.

Managing end stage lung disease in children.

Over the course of a career most physicians will manage only a handful of children through End Stage Lung Disease. Nonetheless, the approach of the physician to this challenge will have a profound impact on the children and families they encounter. Managing the end of life well can bring personal growth and professional satisfaction.

Evidence-based planning and costing palliative care services for children: novel multi-method epidemiological and economic exemplar.

Background: Children's palliative care is a relatively new clinical specialty. Its nature is multi-dimensional and its delivery necessarily multi-professional. Numerous diverse public and not-for-profit organisations typically provide services and support.

Strong opioids in pediatric palliative medicine.

The management of pain in the palliative care of children is somewhat different from that in adults. It also differs in approach from the management of other types of acute and chronic pain in childhood. Whereas once opioids were thought to be highly dangerous drugs, unsuitable for use in children, they have now taken their place as the mainstay for provision of good analgesia to manage moderate-to-severe pain in both malignant and non-malignant life-limiting conditions.