Palliative Care in Neurology

Description

• First book of its kind
• Introduces issues fundamental in palliative care to neurologists
• Directly useful at the bedside to improve quality of care
• Focuses on life-threatening disease

Palliative care is the duty of every neurologist: however, to date, this has not been a standard feature of neurological practice or training. This book helps define a new field, namely palliative care in neurology. It brings together all necessary information for neurologists caring for a patient with advance disease.

Palliative care is an approach to the management of patients with life-threatening illness that attempts to enhance comfort, relieve psychosocial and spiritual distress, assure respect for decision making, provide support for the family, and prepare the patient and family for the end of life. This unique book covers each of the many dimensions of palliative care as they relate to patients with advanced neurological disorders. Basic principles of palliative care and specific ethical issues (such as euthanasia, food and hydration and advance directives) are covered. The needs of populations with specific neurological disorders are described and the management of symptoms that are common to all is explored in detail. Each chapter introduces its topic using a case report that may be used directly for teaching purposes. The authors have put together an invaluable resource, which lays the foundation for further research in the field.

Readership: Neurologists both in practice and academia, palliative care physicians.

Contents

1 Oliver: Palliative care
Part 1: Disorders
2 Hamann, Rogers & Addington-Hall: Palliative care in stroke
3 Macleod & Formaglio: Demyelinating disease
4 Peterson: Neoplasms
5 Clough and Blockley: Parkinson's disease and related disorders
6 Volicer: Dementias
7 Meadway: Infectious disease
8 Oliver & Borasio: Diseases of motor nerves
9 Maddocks: Muscular dystrophy and related myopathies
10 Weil & Noachtar: Epilepsy
11 Bouffet: Pediatric neurology
Part 2: Neurologic Outcome and Palliative Care
12 Toepper & Nacimento: Persistent vegetative state
13 Ceranski: Quadriplegia and paraplegia
14 Lahrmann & Grisold: Locked-in state
Part 3: Common Symptoms
15 Noth & Fink: Spasticity
16 Prosiegel & Borasio: Dysphagia
17 Scott: Communication impairment
18 Weil & Noachtar: Epileptic seizures and mycolonus
19 Portenoy, Hord & Portenoy: Pain
20 Mercadante: Nausea and vomiting
21 Wagner: Fatigue
22 Caraceni & Bosisio: Acute confusional state
23 Borasio & Kaub-Witterner: Respiratory symptoms
24 Sykes: Bowel symptoms
25 Shah & Badlani: Urological symptoms
26 Berney & Stiefel: Psychiatric symptoms
Part 4: Other problems with advanced illness
27 Hardy & Martin: Neurological emergencies
28 Walker: Pressure ulcers
29 Rousseau: Stomatitis
30 Sykes: Managing the dying patient
Part 5: Ethical issues
31 Defanti: Personal identity and palliative care
32 Hardy, Henry & Oliver: Food and hydration
33 Voltz & Foley: Sedation in the imminently dying patient
34 Akabayashi, Slingsby & Voltz: Advance directives
35 Bernat: Refusal and withdrawal of treatment
36 Carver & Foley: Physician assisted suicide/euthanasia
37 Bernat: Informed consent
Part 6: General aspects
38 Sloan: Psychological aspects
39 Taylor & Herr: Spirituality
40 Oliviere & Oliver: Cultural aspects of care
41 Maddocks: Palliative care education for neurologists
42 Jaffe: So, here's what's happened in my life since last April