Publications by authors named "Sheila Lahijani"
Article Synopsis
- Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) is a common problem that can happen after certain medical treatments, causing serious physical and emotional issues for patients.
- Even though there have been improvements in treating GVHD, the treatments can weaken the immune system and lead to more suffering and risks.
- To help patients better, doctors are encouraged to work as a team and focus on both the physical and emotional challenges they face from GVHD, ensuring they get the best overall care.
Psychosocial health predicts and contributes to medical outcomes for patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Yet, there are no standards for psychosocial assessments or support for both patients and caregivers across the care continuum. To examine the current state of psychosocial care, clinicians were sent a survey of their psychosocial assessment practices for patients and caregivers undergoing HSCT via the Listservs of professional organizations.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThese NCCN Guidelines for Distress Management discuss the identification and treatment of psychosocial problems in patients with cancer. All patients experience some level of distress associated with a cancer diagnosis and the effects of the disease and its treatment regardless of the stage of disease. Clinically significant levels of distress occur in a subset of patients, and identification and treatment of distress are of utmost importance.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFChimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy has demonstrated remarkable clinical responses in hematologic malignancies. Recent advances in CAR T-cell therapy have expanded its application into other populations including older patients and those with central nervous system and solid tumors. Although its clinical efficacy has been excellent for some malignancies, CAR T-cell therapy is associated with severe and even life-threatening immune-mediated toxicities, including cytokine release syndrome and neurotoxicity.
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- The study investigates how patients with cancer, their caregivers, and healthcare professionals perceive the time spent on cancer treatment and its impact on health-related quality of life (HRQoL).
- Through semi-structured interviews with 29 participants, researchers identified a distinction between "existential time" (remaining life) and "chronological time" (time spent managing treatment).
- Findings reveal that the time invested in cancer care can lead to significant distress and negatively affect patients' and caregivers' ability to engage in meaningful daily activities, highlighting the need for further research and better communication among stakeholders.
Psychiatric medications are used commonly in hospitalized patients and are particularly indicated in patients who are critically ill to manage many conditions. Due to their many indications in the intensive care unit (ICU), psychiatric medications should be closely monitored in these medically compromised patients for adverse reactions and medical complications because they may affect essentially all organ systems. These range from life-threatening reactions to other less significant effects, such as sedation, to other detrimental complications, such as pancreatitis.
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