Use and safety of peripherally inserted central catheters and midline catheters in palliative care cancer patients: a retrospective review.

Purpose: Some cancer patients in palliative care require intravenous administration of symptom relieving drugs. Peripherally inserted central catheters (PICCs) and midline catheters (MCs) provide easy and accessible intravenous access. However, limited evidence supports the use of these devices in palliative care.

"Do not resuscitate" order and end-of-life treatment in a cohort of deceased in a Norwegian University Hospital.

Background: A "Do not resuscitate" (DNR) order implies that cardiopulmonary resuscitation will not be started. Absent or delayed DNR orders in advanced chronic disease may indicate suboptimal communication about disease stage, prognosis, and treatment goals. The study objective was to determine clinical practice and patient involvement regarding DNR and the prevalence of life-prolonging treatment in the last week of life.

Clinical and ethical aspects of palliative sedation with propofol-A retrospective quantitative and qualitative study.

Background: The anesthetic propofol is often mentioned as a drug that can be used in palliative sedation. The existing literature of how to use propofol in palliative sedation is scarce, with lack of information about how propofol could be initiated for palliative sedation, doses and treatment outcomes.

Aim: To describe the patient population, previous and concomitant medication, and clinical outcome when propofol was used for palliative sedation.

[Withdrawal of addictive drugs--patients' experiences?].

Background: The prescription of addictive drugs has been a cause for concern. Various small-scale interventions towards patients and doctors have proven effective in terms of cutting down the number of prescriptions. However, little is known about users' experience with withdrawal of addictive drugs; exploring this is the main aim of the present study.

[A polar expedition in challenging circumstances--experiences and psychological reactions].

Four men, in the company of 16 dogs, skied for five weeks from Gåsefjord to Ellef Ringnes Land, North Canada. The expedition met with considerable unforeseen challenges such as extreme and prolonged cold, unmotivated Greenland dogs, and much pack ice. Psychological reactions were described and measured by a qualitative free text analysis and a test battery including GHQ-30 (General Health Questionnaire) and STAI State (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory) before, during, and after the expedition.

The final version of the Patient Perspective Survey (PPS): a new tool to improve consultation outcome and patient participation in general practice patients with complex health problems. Doctors' and patients' evaluation and guidelines for clinical use.

Background: The Patient Perspective Survey (PPS) is a new clinical communication tool designed to stimulate patient involvement in the management of complex health problems in general practice and to improve patient and doctor satisfaction with the consultation. The development of this final 38-item version of the PPS has been described elsewhere.

Objective: The aims of this article are to present recommendations for clinical use and how GPs and patients have evaluated this new tool.