Urinary Incontinence
Urinary incontinence is a relatively common problem seen in patients at the end of life, but the exact prevalence is not clear. Studies of symptom prevalence at the end of…
Constipation
Constipation is sometimes regarded as a minor symptom by care providers. However, this is not the case with palliative care patients. The prevalence of constipation in the overall population varies…
Part A: Cachexia
Cachexia is a complex syndrome with loss of muscle mass as its prominent feature. It occurs in many disease states, such as cancer, chronic infections (human immunodeficiency virus [HIV], tuberculosis),…
Depression and Anxiety
Case Study Mrs. A. is a 61-year-old, married woman diagnosed approximately 1 year ago with small cell carcinoma of the lung. She has undergone multiple treatments, including several chemotherapy regimens….
Nausea and Vomiting
Nausea and vomiting are two of the most common and feared symptoms experienced by palliative care patients. It is reasonable to distinguish two different forms of nausea and vomiting in…
Multiple Symptoms and Multiple Illnesses
The term comorbidity has been defined as follows: The presence of coexisting or additional diseases with reference to an initial diagnosis or with reference to the index condition that is…
“Who Knows?”: 10 Steps to Better Prognostication
Although prognostication is most often associated with survival prediction, it is inextricably linked in a triad with diagnosis and treatment. Indeed, there is always the question of the likelihood (prognosis)…
Negotiating Goals of Care: Changing Goals Along the Trajectory of Illness
Negotiating goals of care is an example of patient-centered medical decision making, which differs significantly from the problem-oriented method practiced commonly in health care in the United States. A patient-centered…
