Some differences between social work, spiritual care, and psychology: Content variance in end-of-life conversations.

Objectives: Within the multidisciplinary team, there can sometimes be lack of clarity as to the specific different contributions of each of the psycho-social-spiritual professionals: social workers, psychologist, and spiritual caregivers. This study examined the content of their end-of-life conversations with patients.

Methods: A total of 180 patients with terminal cancer received standard multidisciplinary care, including conversations with a social worker, psychologist, and spiritual caregiver.

Associations Between Psycho-Social-Spiritual Interventions, Fewer Aggressive End-of-Life Measures, and Increased Time After Final Oncologic Treatment.

Background: Little is known about the impact of spiritual caregivers, psychologists, and social workers on desired end-of-life (EoL) medical outcomes, such as reduced use of aggressive care in the final 2 weeks of life, having more time between the last active oncological treatment and death, and increased hospice use.

Patients And Methods: We conducted a prospective study of 180 patients with cancer and their families, their interactions with social work, psychology, and spiritual care, and the above three treatment outcomes.

Results: We found that having one or more spiritual care visits (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 2.

The Effects of Dosage-Controlled Cannabis Capsules on Cancer-Related Cachexia and Anorexia Syndrome in Advanced Cancer Patients: Pilot Study.

Cancer-related cachexia and anorexia syndrome (CACS) is a common phenomenon in cancer patients. Cannabis has been suggested to stimulate appetite but research on this issue has yielded mixed results. The current study aimed to evaluate the effect of dosage-controlled cannabis capsules on CACS in advanced cancer patients.

Silicone Foam Dressing for Prevention of Sacral Deep Tissue Injuries Among Cardiac Surgery Patients.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of silicone foam dressings, placed preoperatively, on the incidence of postoperative sacral deep-tissue pressure injuries.

Design, Setting, And Patients: An uncontrolled before-and-after quality improvement method was used. Within a single, urban academic medical center, consecutively admitted adult cardiac surgery patients were included in the pre- and postintervention groups; only those receiving elective procedures were included.

Medical students' attitudes towards participating in a palliative medicine course: A new specialty in Israel.

Background: Palliative medicine is a growing field in Israel, and its training program is still in process. The current study aimed to evaluate students' attitudes regarding a course in palliative care established in a division of oncology.

Method: Some 45 medical students in their 5th to 6th years participated in a one-week course on palliative care.

Deep Tissue Pressure Injury: A Clinical Review.

: A deep tissue pressure injury (DTPI) is a serious type of pressure injury that begins in the muscle closest to the bone and may not be visible in its early stages. Its hallmark is rapid deterioration despite the use of appropriate preventive interventions. In 2007, the National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel added suspected deep tissue injuries to the traditional classification system, and by 2010 DTPIs had accounted for about 9% of all pressure injuries and were for the first time more prevalent than stage 3 or 4 pressure injuries.

Risk Factors Associated With Pressure Ulcer Formation in Critically Ill Cardiac Surgery Patients: A Systematic Review.

Background: Cardiac surgery patients are among those most at risk for developing pressure ulcers (PUs), with a reported incidence as high as 29.5%. Although numerous studies documenting PU risk factors and prevention strategies exist, the availability of literature examining risk factors specific to the cardiac surgery population is limited.

Perceptions of a patient-staff-caregiver group among inpatients in a radiotherapy unit.

Objective: Coping with cancer and its treatments has significant psychological implications for patients, and hospitalization can lead to emotional distress. Based on a community meeting (CM), a common therapeutic intervention in psychiatric wards, a unique patient-staff-caregiver group is held weekly on the radiotherapy unit of our hospital. The goals are to strengthen patient coping abilities and prompt open communications.

A preliminary report on innovative group therapy in an oncology in-patient department: a patient-family-staff community meeting.

Objective: The Community Meeting (CM) is a unique form of group therapy applied from Psychiatry to an Oncology in-patient department. It is designed to answer the needs of in-patients and family members for open communication and empathic interaction and to serve as a model for effective coping.

Methods: A weekly staff-patient-family open group was held, with facilitation based on an integrative crisis intervention model.

Treatment of lower extremity edema by subcutaneous drainage in palliative care of advanced cancer patients.

Background: Lower extremity edema is a problem in patients with advanced cancer, causing decreased physical function and reduced movement.

Methods: Eight patients with advanced cancer were treated by subcutaneous needles inserted in the inner and outer sides of the ankles and attached to an enclosed drainage bag, or by creating subcutaneous tracts in both ankles.

Results: All patients lost weight after 24 hours.

[Gynecomastia as a complication of hormonotherapy for prostate cancer: effect of prophylactic breast irradiation].

Gynecomastia is a benign condition characterized by proliferation of mammary glandular tissue. Hormonotherapy with bicalutamide for prostate cancer is one of the causes of gynecomastia. The well known aim of treatment is to decrease psychological distress and to improve cosmetic appearance.

Prevention of prescription errors by computerized, on-line surveillance of drug order entry.

Aims: The present study was undertaken to quantify the impact of computerized drug order entry system (CDOE) connected to the patients' database, on the incidence and type of prescription errors (PEs) in the medical service, and to delineate the causes for remaining errors.

Methods: Drug orders were reviewed daily by a physician-reviewer, in a department of internal medicine that used for more than 3 years a CDOE (CDOEdept), and in a similar department in which drug orders were handwritten (HWdept). PEs were divided into those not related to the individual patient (type 1 PEs), and PEs resulting from drug-laboratory, drug-disease, and drug-allergy interactions (type 2 PEs).

Prevention of prescription errors by computerized, on-line, individual patient related surveillance of drug order entry.

Computerized prescription of drugs is expected to reduce the number of many preventable drug ordering errors. In the present study we evaluated the usefullness of a computerized drug order entry (CDOE) system in reducing prescription errors. A department of internal medicine using a comprehensive CDOE, which included also patient-related drug-laboratory, drug-disease and drug-allergy on-line surveillance was compared to a similar department in which drug orders were handwritten.

Reliability of nurses' neurological assessments in the cardiothoracic surgical intensive care unit.

Background: Alterations in mental status are common among patients in the cardiothoracic surgical intensive care unit. Changes in mental status can be caused by metabolic factors, medications, or brain injury. In this setting, reliable, serial neurological evaluations are critical for assessing the effectiveness of treatment and the need for additional studies.

[Physicians' assessment of computerized prescribing].

Prescription errors are a major source of preventable adverse drug events. Computerized prescribing (CP) which screens physicians' order for mistakes, drug-allergy, drug-disease, drug-laboratory and drug-drug interactions can prevent many of these errors and improve quality of care. However, computerized systems are often time-consuming, difficult to handle, and may create their own mistakes.