Supportive care and symptom management in patients with advanced hematological malignancies: a literature review.

Background And Objective: Recent advances have led to cure or long-term disease control for patients with hematological malignancy (HM). Unfortunately, some of them still have poor prognoses and are often associated with significant symptom burden and poor quality of life for patients and families. These patients usually require supportive care including red blood cell and platelet transfusion, due to disease itself and the oncological treatment, apart from their symptom management.

A Pilot Comprehensive Psychoeducation Program for Fluid Management in Renal Palliative Care Patients: Impact on Health Care Utilization.

Fluid management is a clinical challenge in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD), especially among those who opted for conservative treatment. We initiated a comprehensive program of psychosocial interventions. To study the impact of this psychoeducational (Appropriate amount of intake, Self-efficacy, and Adherence [ASA]) program on symptom burden and acute admission rates related to fluid overload (FO) in this group of elderly ESRD patients attending renal palliative care outpatient clinic under our division.

Palliative Care Consultation in Advanced Chronic Kidney Disease with Pain.

Background: There is little data on pain management in patients with advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD) who have opted for palliative care.

Objective: We investigated the prevalence, severity and management of pain in advanced CKD patients attending Renal Palliative Care out-patient clinics under our Division.

Methods: Consecutive patients referred to the Renal Palliative Care Clinics at two hospitals under our Division from July 2012 to June 2016 were included.

Enhanced Psychosocial Support for Caregiver Burden for Patients With Chronic Kidney Failure Choosing Not to Be Treated by Dialysis or Transplantation: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Family caregivers of patients with chronic kidney failure have increased burden, as reflected by their high frequency of physical and mental disturbances. The impact of enhanced psychosocial support to caregivers of patients with chronic kidney failure remains unclear.

Study Design: Open-label randomized controlled trial.

Palliative care for a mentally incompetent end stage renal failure patient: why is it important?

People with intellectual disabilities are among the most disadvantaged groups in society. Here we report a mentally incompetent end stage renal failure (ESRF) patient with frequent emergency visits who made a significant improvement in symptoms control and reduction in casualty visits after introduction of renal palliative care service. Multidisciplinary approach would be useful in this case.

End-of-life characteristics and palliative care provision for elderly patients suffering from acute myeloid leukemia.

Purpose: End-of-life care characteristics and palliative care (PC) utilization of elderly acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients have rarely been reported. The aim of this study was to evaluate the cause of death, place of death and PC utilization of older adults (age 60 years or above) suffering from AML.

Methods: Patients were recruited retrospectively from two hematology units in Hong Kong, which consisted of one university department with Bone Marrow Transplant service, and one regional hospital with hematology specialty service.

Reduction of acute hospital admissions and improvement in outpatient attendance by intensified renal palliative care clinic follow-up: the Hong Kong experience.

Background: End-stage renal failure patients often fail to attend scheduled renal palliative care clinic (RPCC) follow-up because of acute hospital admissions, causing negative impact on patients' well-being and health care burden.

Measures: The rates of RPCC attendance, emergency department (ED) attendance, and acute hospital admission per patient from January 2013 to June 2013 were analyzed.

Intervention: Patients who had more than one ED visit within three months were invited to intensify their RPCC follow-up schedule for symptom assessment, medical advice, psychosocial-spiritual care, and social worker support in the subsequent three months.

Combination therapy with low-dose metolazone and furosemide: a "needleless" approach in managing refractory fluid overload in elderly renal failure patients under palliative care.

Background And Objective: End-stage renal failure (ESRF) patients under palliative care could live for months or even years after deciding not to start dialysis. They could experience significant symptom burden with recurrent fluid overload due to poor renal reserve. This could imply repeated hospital admissions for parenteral diuretics, which may destabilize their community support and limit their precious time spent with family.

Effect of erythropoiesis-stimulating agents on hemoglobin level, fatigue and hospitalization rate in renal palliative care patients.

Objectives: To investigate the effect of erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) on hemoglobin (Hb) level, fatigue and hospitalization rate in renal palliative care (PC) patients.

Method: A retrospective cohort study was done between April 2011 and January 2013 in renal palliative care clinic of clustered hospitals in Hong Kong. The study participants included end-stage renal patients (CrCl < 15 ml/h) decided not for dialysis (ESA 39 patients; control 31 patients).

Use of sertraline for antihistamine-refractory uremic pruritus in renal palliative care patients.

Background: Uremic pruritus is a common and distressing symptom occurring in 42% to 75% of end-stage renal dialysis (ESRD) patients, even in patients who are adequately dialyzed.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective review of consecutive patients who presented to the renal palliative care clinic in a single institution with pruritus refractory to antihistamines between April 2011 and September 2012. A total of 99 patients were screened during this period; 20 were eligible for this study.

Quality of life for Hong Kong Chinese patients with advanced gynecological cancers in the palliative phase of care: a cross-sectional study.

This study investigated the quality of life (QOL) of Hong Kong Chinese patients with advanced gynecological cancers (AGC). A cross-sectional study was conducted with 53 consecutive patients with AGC who were admitted to a university-based palliative care unit. The assessment tools utilized were: the McGill quality of life questionnaire for Hong Kong Chinese (MQOL-HK); the hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADS); the Palliative Performance Scale (PPS); and the psychosocial adjustment to illness scale (PAIS), sexual relationships subscale.

Factors associated with lower quality of life among patients receiving palliative care.

Aim: This paper is a report of a study conducted to (1) assess the quality of life (QoL) and physical functioning status of patients diagnosed with advanced cancer and receiving palliative care; (2) determine if there was a statistically significant relationship between their physical functioning and QoL and (3) identify the demographic and disease-related variables related to their QoL.

Background: Achieving the best possible QoL is a major goal in palliative care. However, research findings about the relationship between QoL and demographic variables have been inconsistent.