Palliative Context Research Articles

Dual HER2 inhibition: mechanisms of synergy, patient selection, and resistance.

HER2-targeted therapies for patients with HER2+ breast cancer are rapidly evolving, offering a range of more complex and personalized treatment options. Currently, an array of anti-HER2 monoclonal antibodies, tyrosine kinase inhibitors and antibody-drug conjugates are administered, sometimes alongside chemotherapy or endocrine therapy, both in curative and palliative contexts. However, the heterogeneous nature of HER2+ breast cancer demands a deeper understanding of disease biology and its role in responsiveness to novel HER2-targeted agents, as well as non-HER2-targeted therapies, in order to optimize patient outcomes. In this Review, we revisit the mechanisms of action of HER2-targeted agents, examine the evidence supporting the use of dual HER2 blockade in patients with HER2-amplified tumours, and explore the role of biomarkers in guiding future treatment strategies. We also discuss potential implications for the future treatment of patients with HER2+ breast cancer.

It Starts With a Story: A Four-Step Narrative-Based Framework for Serious Illness Conversations.

Background: As a key component of advance care planning, serious illness conversations form a core intervention in palliative care. To achieve effective serious illness conversations, acknowledgment and inclusion of patient sense of self and identity are critical. However, no framework exists to describe how goals, values, and choices relate to patient identity. This conceptual gap hinders the advancement of palliative care education and practice. Objective: This philosophical investigation aimed to explicate two items: first, a novel conceptual framework for serious illness conversations; second, a structured approach to optimize these conversations within the palliative care clinical context. Methods: A philosophical and theoretical analysis was performed within an interdisciplinary context, by scholars in palliative care, medical humanities, philosophy, and bioethics. Key literature in psychology, qualitative research on the experience of serious illness, medical ethics, and choice architecture in medical decision-making were reviewed, and a structured conceptual and narrative analysis was performed. Results: An original and innovative identity-centered conceptual framework for serious illness conversations was developed. The framework consists of a four-step, reproducible approach: (1) attend to patient narrative identity, (2) identify values, (3) cocreate goals, and (4) actively promote choices. In short: attend, identify, create, and promote (AICP). Discussion: By using this conceptual framework and four-step approach, clinicians can accomplish goal-concordant serious illness care and build rich clinical relationships that foster trust and goodwill.

The Impact of Implementation of Palliative, Non-Operative Management on Mortality of Operatively Treated Geriatric Hip Fracture Patients: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

(1) Background: Hip fracture patients with very limited life expectancy can opt for non-operative management (NOM) within a palliative care context. The implementation of NOM in the palliative context may affect the mortality of the operatively treated population. This retrospective cohort study aimed to determine whether the operatively treated geriatric hip fracture population would have a lower in-hospital mortality rate and fewer postoperative complications after the introduction of NOM within a palliative care context for patients with very limited life expectancy. (2) Methods: Data from 1 February 2019 to 1 February 2022 of patients aged 70 years or older were analyzed to give a comparison between patients before and after implementation of NOM within a palliative care context. (3) Results: Comparison between 550 patients before and 485 patients after implementation showed no significant difference in in-hospital or 1-year mortality rates (2.9% vs. 1.4%, p = 0.139; 22.4% vs. 20.2%, p = 0.404, respectively). Notably, post-implementation, fewer patients had prior dementia diagnoses (15% vs. 21%, p = 0.010), and intensive care unit admissions decreased (3.5% vs. 1.2%, p = 0.025). (4) Conclusions: The implementation of NOM within a palliative care context did not significantly reduce mortality or complications. However, NOM within palliative care is deemed a more patient-centered approach for geriatric hip fracture patients with very limited life expectancy.

Spiritual interventions in multimodal pain management

If we understand chronic pain not only as adisease but also as an existential crisis, it seems logical and reasonable to consider spiritual aspects in the treatment process. Spirituality is understood as an umbrella term for all activities and experiences that give meaning and significance to people's lives-irrespective of their religious affiliation. So far, spiritual aspects have been considered therapeutically mainly in the palliative context. According to current survey-based studies of pain patients, the inclusion of spiritual themes in therapy leads to an improvement in quality of life and pain tolerance and is moreover explicitly desired by those patients. Aconsistent expansion of multimodal treatment approaches in the sense of abiopsychosocial-spiritual concept has not yet been implemented. The following basic attitudes and behaviors are relevant for practical implementation: openness to spiritual themes and authenticity, taking aspiritual history, listening, standing firm, activation of values, use of motives from religion, mythology, and art. Professional competence generally involves all practitioners, but may also require qualified professionals for specialized assistance. The integration of authentic spiritual assistance into multimodal pain management should help to stabilize self-esteem and the experience of identity of the patients through resource activation and identification of burdensome spiritual beliefs. The detailed integration and investigation of the efficiency of spiritual interventions in multimodal pain therapy require further research.

DRENAGEM SUBCUTÂNEA NO TRATAMENTO DO LINFEDEMA EM DOENTES COM CÂNCER DE PRÓSTATA

ABSTRACT Introduction: this article sought to deepen knowledge about the subcutaneous lymphatic drainage technique as a form of palliative treatment for secondary lymphedema in prostate cancer patients. Development: literature review carried out between November 13 and 17, 2023, in the Medline and CINHAL databases. The literature supporting this analysis is scarce, both in terms of studying the technique on site and standardizing the procedure. These considerations explain the benefits that the technique offers in improving men’s quality of life, in the sexual, psychological and social contexts, and in the economic repercussions. Conclusion: subcutaneous lymphatic drainage is a technique that is little known, and little used in clinical practice, but it is an option to consider in the treatment of secondary lymphedema in a palliative context, as it can improve the patient’s quality of life.

'Not a panacea' - Expert perspectives on the concept of resilience and its potential for palliative care.

Resilience is an increasingly used term in medicine and subject to various definitions, often not easy to grasp. There are established core concepts for patients receiving palliative care, for example, meaning in life, that have already been researched a lot. Resilience, relative to these concepts, is a new object of research in palliative care, where it has so far been used predominantly with regard to the well-being of teams. To explore how experts in palliative care define the concept of resilience and its suitability for patients, significant others, and professionals. Qualitative study using summarizing content analysis according to Mayring. Twenty-one health and social care professionals with expertise caring for persons with life-threatening/limiting illnesses and their relatives were interviewed in three individual interviews and four focus groups. All conversations were recorded, transcribed, coded via MAXQDA, and validated by another researcher. Resilience has been described as something procedural, dynamic, individual, and flexible. In connection with well-known concepts such as posttraumatic growth or terms from the field of mindfulness, social environment or personal factors have also been linked to resilience. Resources such as spirituality can contribute to resilience, and resilience itself can function as a resource, for example, by contributing to quality of life. An active use of the term in practical work with patients or relatives is rare, but it is used in education or team measures. Limited lifespan can pose a challenge to an active use of the concept of resilience. Resilience as a very individual approach provides added value to other core concepts of palliative care. Within the palliative context, the normative dimension of resilience must be well reflected. A broader definition of resilience is recommended, leaving room for everyone to find their own form of resilience. The concept of resilience in palliative care includes opportunities as well as risks and should, therefore, be implemented carefully, requiring specific training.

‘Thank you for loving me’: A qualitative study on perceptions of gratitude and their effects in palliative care patients and relatives

Background: Empirical studies suggest that gratitude positively influence the quality of life of palliative patients and relatives. However, the literature is marked by a lack of conceptual clarity about what gratitude is and whether it can bring about individual and social benefits. Aim: This paper explores how palliative care patients and relatives understand gratitude, how discursive representations of gratitude may affect their positions, perceptions and relations, and how to conceptualise gratitude in the palliative context. Design: We examine 33 gratitude letters written by patients and relatives and 25 semi-structured interviews conducted as part of a pilot gratitude intervention study. We use a qualitative approach, thematic analysis, within a conceptual framework of discourse analysis. Settings/participants: Data were collected from 23 patients and 13 relatives recruited through three hospital palliative care services in French-speaking Switzerland. Results: Participants articulate gratitude in five ways: (1) appreciating others; (2) love; (3) need to reciprocate; (4) appreciating the little things; (5) solace amid serious illness. While some of these representations are sources of positive emotions and outlook, wellbeing and hope, others may confirm self-perceptions of powerlessness and burden. These results support a tridimensional conceptualisation of gratitude in palliative care as source of individual benefits, valuing closest relationships and moral obligation. Conclusion: Our study suggests that gratitude is a key to a good (end of) life, whilst highlighting potential negative effects. It could help healthcare professionals to better understand what gratitude means to patients and relatives, which may facilitate awareness and fostering of gratitude in palliative care.

Caregiver burden among family caregivers of patients with advanced cancer in a palliative context: A mixed-method study.

To examine the multidimensional properties of caregiver burden among family caregivers of patients with advanced cancer in a palliative context. A sequential, explanatory, mixed-method study was performed. Family caregivers of patients diagnosed with advanced cancer were recruited from a palliative care department of a third-level hospital in Sichuan Province, China. The Caregiver Burden Inventory, Social Support Rating Scale and Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale were used to collect quantitative data, and a total of 150 caregivers were recruited from January 2022 to September 2022. Qualitative data were collected through semi-structured interviews, and a total of 22 caregivers were interviewed from October 2022 to November 2022. Survey data were analysed using descriptive statistics, and the factors of caregiver burden were identified using the Mann-Whitney U test, Kruskal-Wallis H test and Spearman correlations. Interpretative phenomenological analysis was performed to analyse the interview data to initially explore the multidimensions of caregiver burden. The following-a-thread method and convergence coding matrix were used for triangulation to examine the multidimensional properties of caregiver burden. The participants experienced a moderate level of caregiver burden (32.97 ± 13.09). Through triangulation, six meta-themes and nine meta-subthemes were identified as multidimensional properties of caregiver burden, including physical (too many caring tasks and poor health condition), emotional (strong negative emotions resulting from patients' suffering and insufficient and ineffective family communication), social (less social interaction and social role conflict) and economic burdens, factors that aggravate burden (prevention and control of COVID-19 and spousal relationship with patients) and factors that mitigate burden (social support). Multiple dimensions of caregiver burden were experienced by family caregivers of patients with advanced cancer in the palliative context. Family-centred palliative care must be further developed. It is important to develop family-centred palliative care. Therefore, the focus must be on developing a rational understanding of palliative care in public and a culture-oriented death education in palliative units. This study adopted a mixed-method approach to comprehensively understand the phenomenon of and factors in caregiver burden in the Chinese palliative oncology context. Our findings suggest that family caregivers in palliative oncology experience a moderate level of caregiver burden, with dimensions including physical, emotional, social and economic burdens, among which emotional burden is the most prominent. The findings of this study provide policy makers and nurse practitioners with targets to be addressed in family-centred care in Chinese palliative units. The results of this study are reported based on the guidelines of the Mixed-Methods Article Reporting Standards. Eligible caregivers were invited to participate in the study and semi-structured interviews. Nurse managers of the palliative unit helped us access the patient-management system.

Stereotactic radiotherapy with simultaneous integrated protection planning technique for synovial sarcoma with stomach abutment: A case report of a complete response

Here, we report the clinical case of a 44-year-old lady, affected by synovial sarcoma (SS) of the mediastinum which was treated in 2014, and relapsed in the upper abdomen in 2020. SS is a relatively radioresistant disease, radiotherapy (RT) is routinely reserved for the neoadjuvant/adjuvant or palliative context. In our scenario, stereotactic RT consisting in 45Gy in 6 fractions was proposed to manage the upper abdominal relapse. Exploiting simultaneous integrated protection, a deliberated reduction in the dose prescription in area of planning target volume overlapped with stomach was achieved, obtaining reasonable dosimetric goals. Acute toxicity in the patient was acceptable, and she did not experience late toxicity and was still free from disease, as noted in last follow-up, 15 months after treatment.

Penile cancer: 20 years of experience in a reference oncology center in Mexico.

6 Background: Penile cancer is a rare neoplasm (<1%), being more common in underdeveloped countries, 10-20% of male neoplasms, with a mean age at diagnosis of 60 years. The number of annual cases in Mexico is only 660 cases, 0.35% of all neoplasms. Its initial symptomatology as a palpable or ulcerated lesion must be differentiated from infectious processes. From 30 to 60% of cases debut with inguinal lymphadenopathies and distant metastases in 1 to 10%. Methods: Cross-sectional, retrospective cohort study of patients diagnosed with penile cancer, who received medical care at the medical oncology service of the University Cancer Center from January 1, 1999 to December 31, 2019. Results: Of the 103 patients analyzed in this study, the mean age was 55 years (27-91 years), the highest level of schooling obtained was primary in 18.5%, being mostly from the state of Nuevo León in 61.1%. of the cases. The duration of symptoms was 17 months on average, and the time interval between diagnosis and receiving medical or surgical treatment was 97 days. Regarding the pathological characteristics of penile cancer, the average tumor size was 41.4mm, the most frequent histological type was squamous in 91.3%. Regarding the classification by clinical stages, patients in clinical stage I was 8%, II 10.6%, III 26.2% and IV 32%, not being recorded accurately in 23.3% of cases. The initial medical treatment was surgical in 81.5% of the cases, with partial phallectomy being the procedure of choice in 57.2% of the patients, with the presence of positive margins in 9.5% of the patients. Lymph node involvement was 71.2% of the cases and lymph node dissection was only performed in 31% of the patients. Those who received chemotherapy were 27.1% of the patients, the majority, 57.1% in the adjuvant setting, the most commonly used scheme was cisplatin with 5-fluoroacyl in 60.7%. Radiotherapy was used in 25.2% of the patients, being the adjuvant modality in 65.4% and in the palliative context in 34.6%, with an average dose of 46.5 Gy and 8 fractions. Conclusions: A diagnosis at an earlier age was observed in our court, being 55 years old vs 60 years old reported in the literature. A delay in diagnosis of up to 12 months has been reported in 15-50% in the literature, being higher in our population with a mean of 17.7 months. Poor adherence to treatment and clinical follow-up was observed, since one in 4 patients only goes to oncology once and loses follow-up. Penile cancer is a rare, psychologically devastating neoplasm with delayed diagnosis, advanced clinical disease, decreased survival, and high recurrence rates despite bimodal or trimodal treatment. A multidisciplinary team approach should be sought to achieve better oncological results and timely detection of cancer in earlier stages.

Wearable devices in palliative care for people 65 years and older: A scoping review.

The objective of this scoping review is to map existing evidence on the use of wearable devices in palliative care for older people. The databases searched included MEDLINE (via Ovid), Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) and Google Scholar, which was included to capture grey literature. Databases were searched in the English language, without date restrictions. Reviewed results included studies and reviews involving patients aged 65 years or older who were active users of non-invasive wearable devices in the context of palliative care, with no limitations on gender or medical condition. The review followed the Joanna Briggs Institute's comprehensive and systematic guidelines for conducting scoping reviews. Of the 1,520 reports identified through searching the databases, reference lists, and citations, six reports met our inclusion criteria. The types of wearable devices discussed in these reports were accelerometers and actigraph units. Wearable devices were found to be useful in various health conditions, as the patient monitoring data enabled treatment adjustments. The results are mapped in tables as well as a Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) chart. The findings indicate limited and sparse evidence for the population group of patients aged 65 years and older in the palliative context. Hence, more research on this particular age group is needed. The available evidence shows the benefits of wearable device use in enabling patient-centred palliative care, treatment adjustments and symptom management, and reducing the need for patients to travel to clinics while maintaining communication with healthcare professionals.

End-of-Life Antibiotherapy: Factors Associated With Prescription.

Introduction Most cancer patients spend their last days of life in the hospital, often receiving invasive and non-palliative interventions. These patients are particularly susceptible to infections, which are a major cause of death. The decision to use antimicrobials in a palliative context is difficult, given the lack of guidelines. Objectives To characterize patients who received antimicrobials at the end of life and analyze factors associated with their prescription decisions. Methods A retrospective analysis of patients who died in the Medical Oncology Service from January to December 2017 was done. In addition, the use of antibiotics in the last 15 days of life was considered. Clinical, therapeutic, and Eastern Corporative Oncology Group Performance Status Scale (ECOG PS) variables were analyzed using SPSS v23. Results There were a total of 116 deaths, of which 48.3% (n = 56) received antimicrobials in their last 15 days of life. The median age of the patients was 64.5 years. Most patients (55.4%) had an ECOG PS 4, of which 82.1% were stage IV tumors. The most frequent tumors were colorectal adenocarcinomas (21.3%), digestive non-colorectal (predominantly gastric or esophageal adenocarcinomas) (20.5%), and invasive breast carcinomas (16.4%). Asthenia (33.6%) and dyspnea (19.8%) were the main complaints, and most patients (55.4%) had respiratory infections. Fever was present in 51.8% of patients on antibiotics and was related to their use (p < 0.001). The use of antimicrobials is also related to higher C-reactive protein (CRP) values (p = 0.015). Conclusions The decision to institute antimicrobials at the end of life is related to clinical and analytical aspects suggestive of infection without considering the patient's general condition and the oncological disease's prognosis. Deprescription of antibiotic therapy is not yet a current clinical practice.

Pain management and outcomes in cancer patients: comparison between oncological and palliative sets of care

&#x0D; Background: medical oncologists and palliative care physicians have different tasks even if they play a similar role when coping with pain of their patients. In spite of this converging goal, oncologists and palliative care therapists can not have the same approach and impact in managing pain. This study analyzes how pain is treated and which outcomes derive from in 1 461 cancer patients separately cared by oncologists or palliative care physicians.&#x0D; Methods: data derive from an observational, multicentre, prospective, longitudinal study carried out in 110 Italian hospitals. After inclusion, the data were recorded weekly for a 28 days period of follow-up.&#x0D; Results: 876 patients (60%) were cared by oncologists and 585 (40%) by palliative care physicians. The two professional categories tended to similarly manage the drugs of WHO analgesic ladder, while rescue and adjuvant therapies were more frequently used by palliative care physicians. Opioids daily dose increased from 68.3 to 92.5 mg/day (Effect size=0.282) among oncologists and from 70.8 to 107.8 mg/day (Effect size=0.402) among palliative care physicians. The switch of opioids was applied in 12.3% and in 19.1% (p=0.1634), respectively. Pain intensity decreased in both groups but more strongly in the palliative context. The full responders patients were 50% in oncology wards and 58.9% in palliative care (p=0.0588).&#x0D; Conclusions: this study indicates how much oncologists and palliative care physicians differ in managing cancer pain. The observational nature of this study reflects the natural and unaffected choice of the professionals. As intrinsic limit the study only describes their behaviors without a stringent comparative evaluation.&#x0D;

Percutaneous Drainage for Aortic Graft Infection Post-aneurysm Repair: A Viable Option?

PurposeNon-operative management of aortic graft infection is usually only considered in a palliative context. We describe the safety, efficacy, and clinical outcomes of percutaneous drainage of aortic graft infections (AGI) following either open or endovascular repair of aneurysmal disease.MethodsTwelve consecutive patients (11 males, 1 female, mean age 72.7 ± 10.3 years, age range 52-88 years) between January 2010-July 2020 who underwent percutaneous drain insertion in either an infected aortic sac or periaortic abscess cavity following endovascular or open surgical graft repair were identified. Patient and procedural characteristics as well as clinical outcomes were determined.ResultsOf the 12 patients who underwent percutaneous drain insertion, five (41.7%) had undergone open abdominal aneurysm repair, one (8.3%) open thoracoabdominal aneurysmal repair, and six (50%) endovascular abdominal aneurysm repairs. Drain size ranged from 10-20 French. All were inserted under ultrasound (US), computed tomography (CT), and/or fluoroscopic guidance. Median duration of drain placement was 55.2 days (range 3-174). Five patients (41.7%) had the drain in place as a stabilizing bridge until or after definitive surgical explantation and aortic reconstruction. Seven patients (58.3%) were managed with drain placement and antibiotic therapy without surgical intervention. Six (50%) were alive at the most recent time of follow-up (median, 732 days, range 166-1650 days). Three patients (25%) died during follow-up with causes including erosion of aortic reconstruction into sigmoid colon, unrelated chronic obstructive pulmonary disease exacerbation, and severe clostridium difficile colitis and pseudomonal pneumonia (median 1244 days, range 992-1597 days). Three (25%) patients were lost to follow-up. No drain-related complications were noted.ConclusionPercutaneous drainage of AGI following endovascular or open aneurysm repair is a safe and viable management option either as a temporizing measure as a bridge to surgical graft explantation or as a non-surgical therapy for long term management.

Implementation of a PIPAC (Pressurized IntraPeritoneal Aerosol Chemotherapy) protocol in a monographic Oncology Center.

Background: Palliative systemic chemotherapy remains the standard treatment for patients with unresectable peritoneal carcinomatosis. Although its use is not standardized in the palliative context, the application of pressurized laparoscopic intraperitoneal chemotherapy as an aerosol called PIPAC, enhances the effect of chemotherapy compared to its administration in a carrier solution. In the patient with good general condition and poor quality of life secondary to extensive peritoneal disease, the combination of systemic chemotherapy and PIPAC every 6-8 weeks is reported to achieve palliative symptomatic control, reduction of ascites, partial pathological response and reduction of the disease extent as measured by the Peritoneal Cancer Index (PCI).

Exploring Palliative Nurses’ Perception of the ELNEC Program in Singapore: A Qualitative Study

Introduction: The ELNEC international curriculum was developed in 2000 and translated into many different languages for nurses worldwide. Although death is a universal phenomenon, handling death and dying differs across cultures and countries. Limited studies are conducted to explore the impact of ELNEC on nursing practices in Asia. Aim: This study explored palliative nurses' perception of the ELNEC and its impact on their nursing practices in Singapore long-term care setting Methods: An exploratory qualitative design using individual face-to-face interviews was conducted at a community hospital in Singapore between 2018 and 2019. An interview guide comprising four open-ended questions was used to generate participants’ feedback. Results: Three themes were generated from the content analysis: (i) lack of basic and continuing nursing education on death-related subjects; (ii) impact of ELNEC on nurses; and (iii) Perceived educational needs in palliative care. Conclusion: The ELNEC improved death anxiety and attitudes among existing nurses working in a community palliative setting. Specific educational needs were also identified as potential areas for enhancing the ELNEC for the Singapore palliative context. This study has demonstrated the need for ELNEC role within the national nursing curriculum for both nursing students and nurses in Singapore.

Investigating job satisfaction in palliative rehabilitation: Reflections and perspectives of health professionals working with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is a progressive neurodegenerative disease which causes impairment of the motor functions in the upper and lower limbs and bulbar muscles with a median survival time is three years from the first appearance of symptoms. There is massive psychological impact on health professionals to persons with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, hence the work leads to multiple challenges and stressful and demanding situations with high risk of experiencing diminished personal well-being including burnout, moral distress, and compassion fatigue. To investigate reflections and perspectives from health professionals working within palliative rehabilitation for elements of importance in relation to job satisfaction. The design was qualitative and based on the phenomenological-hermeneutical methodology by Paul Ricoeur's interpretation theory. Data consisted of two semi-structured focus group interviews with a total of 12 specialized health professionals: Nurses, Psychologists, Physicians, Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists, and Social workers, working within a hospital setting of specialized palliative rehabilitation for people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and their families. The analysis revealed insight into four themes: fundamental drive, working conditions, value of collegiality and work-life balance. Fundamental drive was deeply rooted in the professionals' sense of having a meaningful job. Working conditions such as self-management were important for job satisfaction as were good collegial relations. Finally, a good balance between working life and private life was considered important for job satisfaction. Our study indicates that work within the field of palliative rehabilitation is experienced as enriching and beneficial under the right circumstances and in an appreciatory working environment. We found elements like autonomy, mastery, purpose, collegiality, and work-life balance to be of great importance. Our findings can help guide managements and health professionals in other palliative rehabilitation contexts to ensure satisfied employees and to optimize the quality of care.

Prise en charge palliative ambulatoire d’un pneumothorax spontané secondaire bilatéral

Secondary spontaneous pneumothoraces account for 35% of all pneumothoraces after the age of 50. Their management is still debated and can be challenging due to the underlying respiratory condition. In our observation, the use of small-bore chest tubes allowed prolonged ambulatory care in a palliative setting. We report the case of a 54-year-old woman suffering from a leiomyosarcoma with multiple pulmonary metastases who had repeated episodes of pneumothorax, one of which was bilateral. Treatment involved the bilateral insertion of 8.5F pigtail catheters connected to Heimlich valves that allowed management as an outpatient. Recurrences were treated similarly, in association with oncological management, providing great additional benefits for patient comfort in this palliative context. Altogether, this case report confirms the applicability of outpatient management for drained spontaneous secondary pneumothoraces, even bilateral, especially in a palliative-care setting.

Caring for an Unconscious Transgender Patient at the End of Life: Ethical Considerations and Implications.

Individuals who identify as transgender (trans) or other gender-diverse identities are highly marginalized populations within the United States health care system. Transgender individuals experience a broad range of health disparities leading to devastating health outcomes. Experiences with discrimination and biased care often result in a lack of trust in providers and reduced care seeking, yet providers frequently rely on communication with trans patients to build competence. Consequently, when a trans patient has restricted communication, whether due to biological or psychological reasons, their care can be further disrupted. The nursing code of ethics compels the provision of competent care to all patients, regardless of demographics or gender identity, including individuals with serious illness and injury. This article describes an approach to the provision of affirmative, trans-inclusive care in a palliative nursing context that integrates cultural humility and self-reflection into an established patient care framework. The approach is then applied to identify ethical dilemmas present in the case of a trans patient who arrived at a hospital in an unconscious state following serious injury. Nurses' use of the ethical approach when caring for seriously ill trans patients would represent important progress toward fostering a health care system that provides affirmative, trans-inclusive care.

Sobre os propósitos das ocupações de pessoas em cuidados paliativos oncológicos em um contexto hospitalar

Esta é uma pesquisa qualitativa realizada em 2019 em Belém do Pará, tendo como objetivo compreender os propósitos das ocupações de pessoas em cuidados paliativos oncológicos em um contexto hospitalar. Aplicou-se: entrevista aberta com cada participante e a Escala de Performance Paliativa. A interpretação de dados foi realizada por meio dos pressupostos da análise de conteúdo. Participaram 17 pessoas, das quais 13 eram mulheres. Na Escala de Performance Paliativa verificou-se prevalência da pontuação em 50 (41%). Todas as pessoas entrevistadas atribuíram propósito às suas ocupações, das quais antes da hospitalização, voltava-se à satisfação pessoal e a sentir-se saudáveis. Já na hospitalização, os propósitos ocupacionais passaram a ser de recuperação da saúde e sobrevivência/subsistência, questão que mostrou-se como lacuna. As pessoas participantes puderam exteriorizar sentimentos, histórias de vida, pensamentos e hábitos. A ocupação para o indivíduo em contexto paliativo reflete diretamente na sua qualidade de vida, e a valorização dos aspectos ocupacionais está diretamente associada ao alívio do sofrimento.