• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• 제11권3호
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• pp.131-135
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• 2008

The management of malignant ascites can be problematic for physicians and patients. The mass effect of ascites can cause symptoms of painful abdominal distention, nausea, vomiting, and bowel obstruction. Also patients often complain of shortness of breath and lower extremity edema. These symptoms not only are distressing, but also adversely affect quality of life in terminal cancer patients. We will introduce you how to treat ascites based on our cases.

• 대한한의학회지
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• 제25권4호
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• pp.152-160
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• 2004

Objective : Recently, an increasing portion of cancer patients use various therapies of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) including traditional oriental medicine, which is believed to improve the consequence of cancer according to clinical experience and laboratory data. But the clinical-based systemic statistic validity of these therapies is lacking, so this study was aimed to validate the traditional oriental therapies (TOT) for terminally ill cancer patients. Patients and methods : This retrospective study was performed on 273 patients who were diagnosed with terminally ill cancer in Korea and treated with TOT in the oriental hospital of Daejeon University, from March 1997 to June 2003. We examined the median duration of the terminal period and the correlations between 9 factors and survival of terminally ill cancer patients. Results : During the study period, we could confirm 142 patients' death (52.01%) in 273 subjects. The median length of survival in terminally ill cancer patients was 16 weeks (95%CI 14.0∼20.0) and 40.15% (95%CI 40.07∼40.22) of patients had survived more than 24 weeks. According to Cox's proportional hazard model including gender, age, conventional therapies (chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgery), performance status and clinical symptoms as independent variables, history of conventional therapies (RR 0.581, 95%CI 0.381∼0.885), higher performance status (RR 1,855, 95%CI 1.454∼2.366) and absence of ascites and pleural effusion (RR 1.631, 95%CI 1.047∼2.538) showed independent prognostic value of survival. Conclusion : Our findings suggest that TOT offer potential benefits for cancer patients at the terminal stage.

• 대한한방내과학회지
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• 제22권4호
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• pp.659-667
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• 2001

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to explore some new therapies to control clinical symptoms of patients with terminal cancer by using external applications. Methods: We investigated some literatures on the external applications for cancer patients and made diagrams. Results: The results are summarized as follows. External applications are one of the traditional oriental medical methods and these are effective for pain control, ascites & pleural effusion and palpitable mass. It has some characteristics which are simple, safe and popular, but we must pay attention carefully to allergic reaction and toxicity in using external applications. The therapeutic portion of external applications are decided by discipline of syndrome and disease differentiation, and the prescriptions are composed of antitumor herb medicines. Conclusions: From the above results, it is expected that external applications are useful to improve clinical symptoms and quality of life(QOL) for patients with terminal cancer who cannot intake foods or medicines.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• 제26권4호
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• pp.171-184
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• 2023

Purpose: The study explored the meaning of experiences within a family art therapy process among terminal cancer patients and their families. Methods: Ten participants, including four terminal cancer patients currently admitted to the hospice ward at an inpatient hospice facility in S City and four caregiving family members, engaged in four cycles of family art therapy sessions. The sessions were conducted weekly or bi-weekly, and each lasted approximately 50 minutes. Results: Nine cross-case themes emerged: "feeling unfamiliar and intimidated by the idea of expressing my thoughts through art," "trying to accept the present and positively overcome sadness," "expressing hope through emotional bonds during the process of parting," "conveying and preserving personal and family beliefs," "feeling upset about family imbalances caused by deteriorating health," "valuing togetherness and striving for stability amidst the current challenges," "art as a medium of empowerment for patients and facilitator of family conversations, even amidst difficulties," "sharing a range of emotions-not just joy, but concerns and sorrow-through art," and "gratitude for art' s role in improving family communication and connection through artwork. Conclusion: The findings of this study lead to several conclusions. First, patients and their families faced psychological challenges when confronted with impending death, yet they strove to remain optimistic by seeking meaning in their struggles. Second, families practiced open and expressive communication, sharing a spectrum of complex emotions with one another. Third, even as the patient's condition worsened, resulting in family fatigue, their support and cohesion strengthened.

• 종양간호연구
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• 제5권1호
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• pp.40-51
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• 2005

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between burden and burnout of the family care-givers for caring of terminal patients with cancer. A total of 99 convenience sample was recruited form hospitals. The data were collected by a direct interview with Questionnaire about family burden and burnout. The mean score of burnout of main care-givers was 2.98, and the mean score of burden was 3.03. The care-givers' burnout was significantly different by age, sex, job, duration of treatment, level of acceptance on the stage of death, and ability of daily living activities. The family care-givers' burden was significantly different by the jobs, complication of patients, level of acceptance on the stage of death, and ability of daily living activities. In conclusions, the burnout of family care-givers was highly and positively correlated with the burden.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• 제1권1호
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• pp.56-64
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• 1998

목적 : 본 연구는 서울대학교병원의 말기암환자와 가족을 위한 집단상담 프로그램을 소개하고, 현황 및 문제점을 파악하고자 하였다. 방법 : 1996년 한 해동안 상담에 참석한 말기암환자 및 가족들의 상담기록지를 중심으로 연구자들이 상담한 내용을 분석하였다. 결과 : 참석자 312명은 가족(84%)이 환자(16%)의 4배 이상 참석했고, 대부분 1회만 참석하고 있음을 보여주었다. 참석한 환자 또는 가족이 돌보는 환자의 현황은 나이별로 60대, 50대, 40대가 많았고, 암의 종류는 폐암, 위암, 간암 순으로 많았다. 가족의 특성은 261명으로 배우자, 자녀, 며느리, 형제자매, 부모순으로 많았다. 프로그램에 오게된 경로는 의사의 권유(69%), 병원 포스터(26%), 기타 순이었다. 이것은 의사가 환자와 가족을 집단에 참여시키는데 중요한 역할을 담당하고 있음을 보여준다. 질문은 우선적으로 의료적인 정보에 대한 욕구가 많았다. 이것은 환자나 가족이 의료진으로부터 정보를 제대로 전달받지 못하고 있음을 보여준다. 또한 가족은 환자를 돌보는데 있어서 정보의 제공만으로 해결될 수 없는 여러가지 실제적인 어려움을 주고 있었다. 그 결과 계속적인 24시간 전화상담 서비스 호스피스 시설 가정간호 서비스의 확대, 3차 의료기관과 1,2차 의료기관과의 의뢰 체계 등을 필요로하고 있었다. 따라서 병원에서 제공될 수 있는 프로그램과 지역사회에서 제공될 수 있는 자원, 호스피스 시설과의 연계가 필요하며 이를 관리해줄 수 있는 환자 관리 전담 인력이 필요하다. 결론 : 본 프로그램은 1회(single-session)적인 성격이 강하지만 환자와 가족이 궁금해하는 점들을 만족시켜주므로서 암에 대한 인식이 증가하고 대처능력이 향상되고 있음을 볼 수 있다. 이것은 이 프로그램이 위기에 처한 말기암환자와 가족을 지지하는 프로그램으로서 활용가치가 높다고 볼 수 있다. 추후 연구는 프로그램의 효용성에 대한 평가가 검토되어야 할 것이며, 다른 병원에서도 각 병원의 특성과 참석자들의 특성을 고려하여 보다 발전된 프로그램이 나오기를 바란다.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• 제23권1호
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• pp.11-16
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• 2020

Purpose: D-dimer levels are known to be associated with poor outcomes in patients with various cancers, but their significance at the end of life remains unclear. This study investigated D-dimer levels as a prognostic indicator for terminal cancer patients in the last hours of life. Methods: The retrospective study was conducted at a palliative care unit of a tertiary cancer center, using a database to analyze the records of patients treated from January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2018. In total, 67 terminal cancer patients with available data on D-dimer levels were included. Patients' demographic data, clinical information, and laboratory values, including D-dimer levels, were collected. Survival was analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method and the log-rank test. A Cox proportional-hazards model was used to identify prognostic factors of poor survival. Results: The most common site of cancer was the lung (32.8%) and the median survival time was 5 days. Most laboratory results, particularly D-dimer levels, deviated from the normal range. Patients with high D-dimer levels had a significantly shorter survival time than those with low D-dimer levels (4 days vs. 7 days; P=0.012). In the Cox regression analysis, only a high D-dimer level was identified as a predictor of a poor prognosis (hazard ratio, 1.83; 95% confidence interval, 1.09~3.07). Conclusion: Our results suggest that at the very end of life, D-dimer levels may serve as a prognostic factor for survival in cancer patients.

• Journal of Korean Biological Nursing Science
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• 제7권1호
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• pp.57-68
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• 2005

Purpose : The purpose of this study was to develop a tool to assess the need for hospice care in families of patients with cancer. Method : Research design was a methodological study. The tool was developed in 3 stages : first, preliminary items were developed based on a questionnaire about the needs for hospice care that was given to 8 families of patients with cancer; second, a panel of specialists reduced the number of preliminary items using 2 validity tests on the contents. Finally, reliability and validity were tested by a sample of 98 families who have a patient with cancer from April 2003 to July 2004. Result: Cronbach's alpha coefficient for internal consistency was .94 for the final total 22 items. Using the factor analysis, 4 factors with eigenvalue of more than 1.0 were extracted and these factors explained 65% of the total variance. The four factors were labeled as 'control of terminal physical problems', 'emotional care', 'spiritual care for preparing for death', and 'family support'. The final items of the tool developed on the need of hospice care consisted of 22 items. Conclusion : The instrument, for accessing the need for hospice care in families of patients with cancer, developed in this study was identified as a tool with a high degree of reliability and validity. In this sense, this tool can be effectively utilized for implementing and improving hospice care for patients with terminal cancer.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• 제5권1호
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• pp.69-75
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• 1992

The author experienced of four patients with intractable pain who were treated by continuous intraventricular infusion of morphine through an implanted port system. One suffered from tongue cancer and the others from bone metastasis or distant metatasis of abdominal cancer which were ineffectively to managed through an epidural route. Our experience is that this is a safe and effective method of pain management in patients with head and neck cancer. It is useful as well in patients who have intractable pain that cannot be managed through an intrathecal or epidural route.

• 가정간호학회지
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• 제26권2호
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• pp.180-188
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• 2019

Purpose: To investigate the duration of each nursing activity performed by home care nurses for non-cancer patients and the relationship between patients' palliative prognostic index (PPI) and duration of each nursing activity. Methods: Nursing activities performed for six non-cancer terminal patients were timed using a stopwatch, and 18 parameters were measured by visiting each patient thrice. The mean and standard deviations of duration for each category of nursing activities were computed. The relationship between category-specific duration of nursing activities and PPI was analyzed with Spearman's correlation and multiple regression analysis. Results: Among nursing activities, the highest greatest duration of time was spent on traffic time (11.91 min), followed by urinary catheter management (10.65 min) and insertion and management of nasogastric tube (9.03 min). In terms of nursing categories, after excluding movement time, the greatest duration of time was spent on excretion care (5.48 min), nutrition care (5.40 min), and medication (3.82 min). PPI correlated with hygiene care, excretion care, and patient and information management. Multiple regression analysis revealed that PPI increased with increasing duration of hygiene care. Conclusion: These study findings provide grounds for the increased nursing time of hygiene care for people reaching the end of life.