Management of Diabetes Mellitus in Adults at the End of Life: A Review of Recent Literature and Guidelines.

The prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM) is rising with an increased risk of developing it as a person ages. Therefore, more persons will have comorbid DM throughout their health journey and are potentially prone to unpleasant symptoms associated with poor glycemic control at the end of life (EOL). We performed an in-depth literature review to examine evidence-based recommendations on DM management at the EOL.

Clinical Assessment and Management of Delirium in the Palliative Care Setting.

Delirium is a neurocognitive syndrome arising from acute global brain dysfunction, and is prevalent in up to 42% of patients admitted to palliative care inpatient units. The symptoms of delirium and its associated communicative impediment invariably generate high levels of patient and family distress. Furthermore, delirium is associated with significant patient morbidity and increased mortality in many patient populations, especially palliative care where refractory delirium is common in the dying phase.

The preventative role of exogenous melatonin administration to patients with advanced cancer who are at risk of delirium: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Delirium is a very common and distressing neuropsychiatric syndrome in palliative care. Increasing age, the presence of dementia and advanced cancer are well-known predisposing risk factors for delirium development. Sleep-wake cycle disturbance is frequently seen during delirium and melatonin has a pivotal role in the regulation of circadian rhythms.