Background: The opioid use disorder is an international public health problem. Over the past 20 years it has been the subject of numerous publications concerning patients treated for chronic pain other than cancer-related. Patients with cancer-related pain are also at risk of opioid use disorder. The primary objective of this literature review was to determine the prevalence of opioid use disorder in patients with cancer-related chronic pain. Its secondary objective was to identify the characteristics of these opioid users. Methods: This is a literature review of studies published over the last twenty years, from 1 January 2000 to 31 December 2020 identified by searching the three main medical databases: Pubmed, Cochrane, and Embase. A meta-analysis took account of between and within-study variability with the use of random-effects models estimated by the DerSimonian and Laird method. Results: The prevalence of opioid use disorder was 8% (1–20%) and of the risk of use disorder was 23.5% (19.5–27.8%) with I2 values of 97.8% and 88.7%, respectively. Conclusions: Further studies are now needed on the prevalence of opioid use disorder in patients treated for cancer-related chronic pain. A screening scale adapted to this patient population is urgently needed.
Background The distress of patients suffering from a terminal illness can lead to a state of despair and requests for euthanasia and assisted suicide. It is a major challenge for palliative care workers. The Distress Thermometer (DT) is recommended by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network as a means of more easily assessing distress. It is available as a Self-assessment reported Distress Thermometer, but for a wider use in palliative care it should also be implemented in the form of a clinician-reported outcome (clinRO). Clinicians need to rate patient’s distress when the patient is not able to do so (subject that cannot be addressed, defensive patient…). The primary aim of the quantitative study was to assess the validity of the Clinician-Rated Distress Thermometer in palliative care. Method The assessments were performed by teams working in three palliative care centres. The primary endpoint was concordance between the patient and clinicians’ responses via Lin’s concordance coefficient. Eligible patients were aged 18 years or older, suffering from a severe disease in the palliative phase, and with a sufficient level of awareness to consent to participate in the study. A total of 51 patients were recruited, 55% were male, with a mean age of 65.8 years [39–90 years]. Results Three hundred sixty-four clinician-Rated Distress Thermometer and 467 Self-Reported Distress Thermometer were performed. Only 364 of the 467 Self-Reported Distress Thermometer were used for the study, as investigators did not systematically ask the patient to give an account of his distress. Concordance between patient and clinician responses: The Lin’s concordance coefficient with a threshold (alpha) of 5% was 0.46 [0.38; 0.54]. At the first assessment, it was 0.61 [0.44; 0.79]. The Cohen’s kappa coefficient was 0.52, with a concordance rate of 79.6%. The sensitivity was 82.9% [66.4–93.4] and the specificity 71.4% [41.9–91.6]. Conclusion The first assessment gave the best results in terms of concordance between Clinician-Rated DT and Self-Reported DT. In the next assessments, the Clinician-Rated DT were less consistent with the patients’ Self-Reported DT.
Background In palliative care, the relief of discomfort is sought by an overall approach, combining prescribed medication and additional therapies, such as foot reflexology (FR). The main objective of this study was to assess the feasibility of FR in a population of inpatients in a palliative care unit (PCU).The precariousness of the patients led us to perform a feasibility study and not a cohort study from the outset. Its secondary objective was to assess the impact of an FR session on some symptoms of discomfort (anxiety, pain, troubled sleep, and psychological distress). Methods This is a feasibility study designed as a randomized controlled two-arm therapeutic trial. One arm tested FR, the other an active control, massage therapy (MT). The evaluators were blinded. Results FR was feasible for 14 patients out of the 15 included in the FR group (95% CI [68%; 100%]). These patients were in the palliative care phase of cancer, motor neuron disease, or terminal organ failure. Concerning the symptoms of discomfort, ESAS sleep quality score was on average 3.9 (± 2.5) before a session in the FR group. It was improved to an average of 3 (± 2.3) on the day after the session (effect-size = 0.38 [0.03; 0.73]). Conclusion This study confirms the feasibility of an FR session for patients hospitalized in a PCU. It resulted in a slight improvement in sleep quality. For other discomfort symptoms such as anxiety, pain and distress, FR yielded a non-significant improvement. Significant results would have needed a larger cohort.
Background: "Opening a Wine bar "at a Palliative Care Unit PCU is just a way to give the patients the opportunity of feeling alive.Aim: This experience was carried out because in palliative medical practice the question of how to take care of patients and improve the quality of their remaining life expectancy is essential. Patients', carers' and relatives' opinions are good. Design:We built an opinion survey with biostatisticians from the hospital (DRCI of the Universal Hospital UCH of Clermont-Ferrand) and it started in February 2015. We came up with three types of questionnaires to patients, relatives and caregivers for one year.Setting/Participants: Patients were interviewed by professional staff who conducted face to face interviews. Relatives and caregivers were alone to answer. Results:We got 115 answers, most of them are positive ones and give descriptive results. We also collected some verbatim answers. The results of this survey are gratifying. We are not so surprised because every day the patient's behaviour shows us how it can be important for them to be considered as still alive and not already dead without any desire. Conclusion:It was important to perform this survey that demonstrates the humanistic dimension through a different way of caring. It confirms us in our first goal: allowing patients with serious diseases to enjoy some pleasure at the end of their life. This experience is going on and we are encouraged every day thanks to the patients' evidence or testimony.
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