A Case-Based Approach to Integrating Opioid Pharmacokinetic and Pharmacodynamic Concepts in Cancer Pain Management.

Opioids are prescribed for cancer pain. Over the past decade, the annual increase in opioid prescriptions has been accompanied by an increase in opioid-associated deaths. Health care professionals must be proficient in proper dosing, titrating, and monitoring of opioid medications.

Clarifying delirium management: practical, evidenced-based, expert recommendations for clinical practice.

Delirium is highly prevalent in those with serious or advanced medical illnesses. It is associated with many adverse consequences, including significant patient, family, and health care provider distress. This article suggests a novel approach to delirium assessment and management and provides useful, practical guidance for clinicians based on a complete review of the existing literature and the expert clinical opinion of the authors and their colleagues, derived from over a decade of collective bedside experience.

Strategic planning by the palliative care steering committee of the Middle East Cancer Consortium.

High quality comprehensive palliative care is a critical need for millions of patients and families, but remains only a dream in many parts of the world. The failure to do a strategic planning process is one obstacle to advancing education and pain prevention and relief. The Middle Eastern Cancer Consortium Steering Committee attendees completed an initial strategic planning process and identified "developmental steps" to advance palliative care.

Initial experiences with subcutaneous recombinant human hyaluronidase.

We report here our retrospective observations on the use of recombinant human hyaluronidase (rHuPH20) for the facilitation of subcutaneous hydration and drug infusion. Thirty-two patients were treated with rHuPH20 in a hospice setting over a 6-month period. Of these, 26 received this agent to enhance hypodermoclysis with standard hydration fluids for symptom control of delirium, myoclonus and mild to moderate dehydration.