End-of-life-care: A Practical Guide

The most thorough text available on providing patients and families with quality end-of-life care   End of Life Care: A Practical Guide offers solution-oriented coverage of the real-world issues and challenges that arise daily for clinicians caring for those with life-limiting illnesses and conditions.   End of Life Care: A Practical Guide includes specific clinical guidance for pain management and other common end of life symptoms. The second edition has been made even more essential with the addition of chapter-ending Q&A for self assessment and board review, new coverage of multicultural medicine, an increased number of algorithms to assist decision making on complicated clinical, legal, and ethical issues.   Six sections walk you through the complexities of caring for patients who are nearing the end of life: * Preparing Patients for End of Life * Management of Symptoms * Diagnostic and Invasive Interventions * Ethical Dilemmas * Special Populations * Diversity   No other text better assists physicians and other clinicians in providing patients near the end of life with support, guidance, and hope in the face of 'hopelessness' than End of Life Care: A Practical Guide. Barry Kinzbrunner, MD , is Chief Medical Officer of Vitas, Inc, one of the largest private companies offering hospice and end-of-life clinical and social services in the United States. Table of contents   Section I: Preparing Patients for End-of-Life Care Chapter 1 Predicting Prognosis: How to Decide When End-of-Life Care Is Needed Chapter 2 How to Help Patients Access End-of-Life Care Chapter 3 Communicating with Patients and Families Part 1: How to Inform the Patient: Conveying Bad News Part 2: Goals of Care and Decision-Making Conversations Section II: Management of Symptoms Chapter 4 How to Work with the Interdisciplinary Team Chapter 5 Measuring Outcomes and Quality of Life Chapter 6 Management of Pain at the End of Life Chapter 7 Dyspnea and Other Respiratory Symptoms Chapter 8 Gastrointestinal Symptoms near the End of Life Chapter 9 Neurological Symptoms at the End of Life Chapter 10 Delirium, Depression, and Anxiety Chapter 11 Wound Care and Other Dermatologic Problems at the End of Life Chapter 12 The Last Days: The Actively Dying Patient Chapter 13 Other Common Symptoms near the End of Life Chapter 14 Psychosocial and Spiritual Concerns at the End of Life Chapter 15 The Physician's Role in Spiritual Care Chapter 16 Psychosocial and Spiritual Assessments Chapter 17 Grief and Bereavement Section III: Diagnostic and Invasive Interventions Chapter 18 Diagnostic Tests and Invasive Procedures in End-of-Life Care Chapter 19 Palliative Chemotherapy and Radiation Therapy Chapter 20 Invasive Cardiac Interventions Chapter 21 Invasive Respiratory Care Part 1: Invasive Respiratory Interventions Part 2: Discontinuation of Mechanical Ventilation Section IV: Ethical Dilemmas Chapter 22 Advance Directives and CPR at the End of Life Chapter 23 Euthanasia, Physician-Assisted Suicide, and Palliative Sedation Chapter 24 Artificial Nutrition and Hydration Section V: Specific Population Chapter 25 End-of-Life Care in Patients with AIDS Chapter 26 Care of the Pediatric Patient at the End of Life Chapter 27 Grief and Bereavement in Children Chapter 28 End-of-Life Care and Critical Care: ICU and the ER Chapter 29 Hospice in Long-Term Care Chapter 30 The Geriatric Patient: Pain Management Section VI: Diversity Chapter 31 Cultural Diversity and End-of-Life Care Chapter 32 Religious Diversity and End-of-Life Care