Palliative Care in Cancer Flashcards
What is the definition of palliative?
To alleviate a problem without addressing the underlying cause.
What is a good palliative treatment for bone mets?
Palliative radiotherapy.
What are the multidimensional parts to palliative care?
Physical, psychological, social, spiritual.
What can lead to collapse of the vertebrae?
Steroids causing osteoporosis.
What is involved in vertebroplasty?
Needles are placed in the vertebrae and medical cement is injected to increase structural integrity.
What sort of time frame are you talking about when talking about end of life care?
The last weeks of life.
What is the concept of neuromechanical dissociation with regards to breathlessness?
Mismatch between intended and experienced effort of breathing.
What are the non-drug therapies for treating breathlessness?
Handheld fan, MDT approach.
What are the drug-therapies for treating breathlessness?
Low dose morphine, consider low dose benzodiazepines.
What is a palliative treatment option for pancreatic cancer?
Stenting to relieve biliary obstruction.
What is used to determine analgesia in cancer?
WHO analgesic ladder.
If analgesics fail, what is a way to treat pain from pancreatic cancer?
Coeliac plexus block?
How is coeliac plexus block done?
With endoscopic ultrasound.
What are the 5 types of death?
Social, anticipatory grief, cardiac death, brain death, spiritual death.
