Laxatives for the management of constipation in people receiving palliative care

Laxatives or methylnaltrexone for the management of constipation in palliative care patients.

BACKGROUND Constipation is common in palliative care; it can generate considerable suffering due to the unpleasant physical symptoms. In the first Cochrane Review on effectiveness of laxatives for the management of constipation in palliative care patients, published in 2006, no conclusions could be drawn because of the limited number of evaluations. This article describes the first update of th...

Osmotic and stimulant laxatives for the management of childhood constipation.

BACKGROUND Constipation within childhood is an extremely common problem. Despite the widespread use of osmotic and stimulant laxatives by health professionals to manage constipation in children, there has been a long standing paucity of high quality evidence to support this practice. OBJECTIVES We set out to evaluate the efficacy and safety of osmotic and stimulant laxatives used to treat fun...

The management of constipation in palliative care: clinical practice recommendations.

Constipation is one of the most common problems in patients receiving palliative care and can cause extreme suffering and discomfort. The aims of this study are to raise awareness of constipation in palliative care, provide clear, practical guidance on management and encourage further research in the area. A pan-European working group of physicians and nurses with significant experience in the ...

Diabetes management in patients receiving palliative care.

A literature review revealed no evidence-based guidelines specific to managing diabetes in the context of palliative care. The purpose of the current project was to describe the management practices of doctors and nurses caring for people with diabetes and advanced disease. Palliative care doctors, palliative care nurses, endocrinologists, and diabetes nurse educators participated in this study...

Guidelines for the Assessment of Bereavement Risk in Family Members of People Receiving Palliative Care Centre for Palliative Care