Pandemic palliative care: beyond ventilators and saving lives (original) (raw)

Palliative care in the emergency department during a COVID-19 pandemic

The American Journal of Emergency Medicine, 2020

Elsevier has created a COVID-19 resource centre with free information in English and Mandarin on the novel coronavirus COVID-19. The COVID-19 resource centre is hosted on Elsevier Connect, the company's public news and information website. Elsevier hereby grants permission to make all its COVID-19-related research that is available on the COVID-19 resource centre-including this research content-immediately available in PubMed Central and other publicly funded repositories, such as the WHO COVID database with rights for unrestricted research re-use and analyses in any form or by any means with acknowledgement of the original source. These permissions are granted for free by Elsevier for as long as the COVID-19 resource centre remains active.

Management of COVID-19 pandemic in the intensive care under scarce of resources with palliative care approach

Systematic Reviews in Pharmacy, 2020

Coronavirus has been shaking the world since 31 December 2019, with its world-wide pandemic impact since 11 March 2020 Although its impact on mortality rate against the total incidents is relatively small, the fatality rate against critical care admission due to the event of ARDS remains relatively high The 2019 Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) has a serious consequence in the Intensive Care Unit care, which leads to a high demand for more ICU staffs, isolation rooms, equipment (mainly ventilators) These limitations along with the recently unavailable definitive treatment require an adapted ICU care system for the provided services ICU care should therefore more aimed at improving the quality of life (patients, families, and staff) This can be done by providing symptomatic therapy, advance care planning, and end of life / dying care in an unusual circumstances (isolation) All of these services may refer to the application of palliative care principles, which have not been extensively ...

Palliative Care, Trials and COVID-19 Tribulations

2021

The COVID-19 pandemic started more than a year ago, but until today, we did not have a definitive cure for this disease. The SARS-CoV-2 virus constantly mutated over time, infecting more people and causing tremendous stress on the existing scarcity of healthcare resources all around the world. Here, the experts from ground zero will share their first-hand experience of clinical trials looking for a cure for COVID-19, like the WHO's Solidarity Trial and the role of palliative care in COVID-19 as part of humanitarian crisis management.

Modified Palliation in Cancer Patients during COVID-19 Pandemic

Nepalese Journal of Cancer, 2020

Corona virus disease 2019 (COVID 19) has put huge challenge to the health delivery system all across the globe. The risk of mortality due to COVID 19 is highest on critically ill patients and those with preexisting disease. Palliative and end of life care are no exceptions to the surge in increased demand for health care services. It is now an essential part of global health care. The benefits of early palliative care are already well established. In the pandemic like this, we must not pull back the services, particularly in these vulnerable groups. It is important to determine how best to deliver palliative care during this crisis. It may include preparedness to shift the focus of resources to community level and the innovative use of telemedicine. Use of telemedicine is to ease patients and minimize caregiver distress, and to prevent hospitalizations. The fear of contracting COVID-19 and the emotional burden during diagnosis requires the need of continuous psychosocial support. Th...

Palliative care in critically ill COVID-19 patients: the early New York City experience

BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care, 2020

ObjectivesThe COVID-19 pandemic in the USA has been accompanied by high rates of mortality and an unprecedented need for palliative care delivery. Little is known about the use of palliative care services in intensive care unit (ICU) settings during the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsThis is a retrospective cohort study of critically ill COVID-19 patients requiring ICU admission, between 7 March and 14 April 2020 to two academic teaching hospitals in New York City. Palliative care consultation included a one-time telemedicine consultation or continued telemedicine consultation and follow-up with multidisciplinary team involvement. Patient information was collected from the electronic health record and analyses were conducted with Stata V.15.1 (StataCorp) statistical software.ResultsA total of 151 critically ill patients with COVID-19 pneumonia requiring ICU admission were identified, of whom 59 (39.07%) received an inpatient palliative care consultation. More than half of patients died (n...

The Palliative Care and Covid-19 Pandemic

International Journal of Research in Pharmaceutical Sciences

During this phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare systems and healthcare personnel are overwhelmed and are already prepared to treat an influx of patients affected. The corona virus poses an uncertain period of intense acute care crisis where hundreds of thousands of people theoretically could get infected, some fatally, and ten thousands could die. This article addresses the normal palliative care issues — Life quality, comprehensive care planning, Patient discernment preferences, treatment of pain and symptoms, and encouragement for caregivers over prolonged trajectories — seem small and weak in contrast. The use of the particular Palliative care skills and abilities needs to be part of the programme. To agree that death is imminent for any human being should be right for the health system. Extending the dying process in days, weeks, or months against the person’s wish is pointless; it will only prolong the physical and emotional agonies. Individual must be at peace at the en...

End-of-Life Issues in the Era of the COVID-19 Pandemic

2020

ease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Most COVID-19 patients experience mild to moderate respiratory illness, requiring conservative management. However, elderly individuals and those with underlying medical illnesses such as hypertension, diabetes, coronary artery disease, renal failure, chronic infections, and cancer are more likely to develop serious illness and have greater morbidity and mortality [1]. Most hospitals are facing a stark shortage of requisite equipment such as ventilators and intensive care unit (ICU) beds, as well as available personnel for optimal patient management [2]. The immense burden that has been suddenly placed on health care facilities is forcing professionals to ration the limited resources at their disposal to a seemingly endless stream of patients, all in need of intensive care for survival. The strict nationwide lockdowns being imposed in most countries are deterring patients from seeking medical attention or h...

Caring for the Palliative Care amidst COVID-19 Pandemic

Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Care, 2020

With or without COVID-19, “palliative care” is about basics. 1) Good control of symptoms due either to the disease or treatment, 2) Good decisions, especially when it becomes clear that control of the disease is no longer possible, with trying to help the patient do what means most to them, 3) Patient/family support in every phase of the illness from diagnosis throughout all phases of care until the moment of death, and 4) Care of bereaved person. Palliative care, the care of patients (adults or children) with probably fatal illnesses, whether they are still having anti disease therapy or not must occur in many places, many wards, clinics, at home, and even virtual. The COVID-19 crisis has a serious impact on patients’ care, but with respect for every person, and a great deal of education, training and support of staff, we would overcome it successfully.

Development of a Palliative Care Toolkit for the COVID-19 Pandemic

Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, 2020

Elsevier has created a COVID-19 resource centre with free information in English and Mandarin on the novel coronavirus COVID-19. The COVID-19 resource centre is hosted on Elsevier Connect, the company's public news and information website. Elsevier hereby grants permission to make all its COVID-19-related research that is available on the COVID-19 resource centre-including this research content-immediately available in PubMed Central and other publicly funded repositories, such as the WHO COVID database with rights for unrestricted research re-use and analyses in any form or by any means with acknowledgement of the original source. These permissions are granted for free by Elsevier for as long as the COVID-19 resource centre remains active.