Palliative Aspects of Emergency Care [Paperback]

The process of patients with advanced illnesses entering the emergency department is fraught with uncertainty for both patients and medical providers. Yet, there is a lack of definitive and accessible resources which provide immediate guidance for the care of these patients. Palliative Aspects of Emergency Care is a practical guide designed to fill this void. From the paramedic struggling with difficult and/or conflicting information in the home through the palliative care specialist trying to interface effectively with the emergency department, this user-friendly handbook offers practical help from experts in the interdependent fields of Emergency Medicine and Hospice and Palliative Medicine. This evidenced-based book covers the prognostication and assessment of relevant, advanced-illness clinical problems, the management of symptoms, and the physical and spiritual treatment of palliative patients in the emergency department through their last hours of living. Also included are chapters focusing on hospice care, communication techniques, and the legal and ethical issues of palliative care in the emergency department. This guide is a must-have resource for clinicians looking for concise, point-of-care information, and for hospital administrators working to address palliative care needs in emergency departments through best practice recommendations.

Chapter 1: Overview

Chapter 2: Trajectories and Prognostication in Emergency Care
? Emergency Department and Functional Trajectories
? Prognostication and Prognostic Tools
o Cancer
o Heart Failure
o Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
o Dementia
? Communicating the Prognosis
? Creating a Plan of Action

Chapter 3: Rapid Palliative Care Assessment
? The Critically Ill or Unstable Patient
? The Medically Stable Patient

Chapter 4: Cancer Emergencies
? Spinal Cord Compression
o Pathophysiology
o Epidemiology
o Signs and Symptoms
o Diagnosis
o Interveló½