128 research outputs found
Nuclear magnetic resonance measurements reveal the origin of the Debye process in monohydroxy alcohols
Monohydroxy alcohols show a structural relaxation and at longer time scales a
Debye-type dielectric peak. From spin-lattice relaxation experiments using
different nuclear probes an intermediate, slower-than-structural dynamics is
identified for n-butanol. Based on these findings and on diffusion
measurements, a model of self-restructuring, transient chains is proposed. The
model is demonstrated to explain consistently the so far puzzling observations
made for this class of hydrogen-bonded glass forming liquids.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure
Hydrogen-bond equilibria and life times in a supercooled monohydroxy alcohol
Dielectric loss spectra covering 13 decades in frequency were collected for
2-ethyl-1-hexanol, a monohydroxy alcohol that exhibits a prominent Debye-like
relaxation, typical for several classes of hydrogen-bonded liquids. The thermal
variation of the dielectric absorption amplitude agrees well with that of the
hydrogen-bond equilibrium population, experimentally mapped out using near
infrared (NIR) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) measurements. Despite this
agreement, temperature-jump NIR spectroscopy reveals that the hydrogen-bond
switching rate does not define the frequency position of the prominent
absorption peak. This contrasts with widespread notions and models based
thereon, but is consistent with a recent approach.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure
“It scares me to know that we might not have been there!”: a qualitative study into the experiences of parents of seriously ill children participating in ethical case discussions
Quality assessment of clinical practice guidelinesfor Chagas disease
INTRODUCTION: The development of clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) has increased; this study aimed to assess the quality of CPGs for the management of Chagas disease. METHODS: Following a systematic search of the scientific literature, two reviewers assessed the eligible guidelines using the Appraisal of Guidelines Research and Evaluation (AGREE) II instrument. RESULTS: Five CPGs were included. The AGREE domains of scope/purpose, stakeholder involvement, and clarity of presentation were rated well, and the domains of applicability and editorial independence received poor ratings. CONCLUSIONS: The quality of CPGs for Chagas disease is poor, and significant work is required to develop high-quality guidelines
Communication between family carers and health professionals about end-of-life care for older people in the acute hospital setting: a qualitative study
This paper focuses on communication between hospital staff and family carers of patients dying on acute hospital wards, with an emphasis on the family carers’ perspective. The age at which people in the UK die is increasing and many continue to die in the acute hospital setting. Concerns have been expressed about poor quality end of life care in hospitals, in particular regarding communication between staff and relatives. This research aimed to understand the factors and processes which affect the quality of care provided to frail older people who are dying in hospital and their family carers
The involvement of cancer patients in the four stages of decision-making preceding continuous sedation until death: A qualitative study
BACKGROUND: Involving patients in decision-making is considered to be particularly appropriate towards the end of life. Professional guidelines emphasize that the decision to initiate continuous sedation should be made in accordance with the wishes of the dying person and be preceded by their consent. AIM: To describe the decision-making process preceding continuous sedation until death with particular attention to the involvement of the person who is dying. DESIGN: Qualitative case studies using interviews. SETTING/PARTICIPANTS: Interviews with 26 physicians, 30 nurses and 24 relatives caring for 24 patients with cancer who received continuous sedation until death in Belgium, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. RESULTS: We distinguished four stages of decision-making: initiation, information exchange, deliberation and the decision to start continuous sedation until death. There was wide variation in the role the patient had in the decision-making process. At one end of the spectrum (mostly in the United Kingdom), the physician discussed the possible use of sedation with the patient, but took the decision themselves. At the other end (mostly in Belgium and the Netherlands), the patient initiated the conversation and the physician's role was largely limited to evaluating if and when the medical criteria were met. CONCLUSION: Decision-making about continuous sedation until death goes through four stages and the involvement of the patient in the decision-making varies. Acknowledging the potential sensitivity of raising the issue of end-of-life sedation, we recommend building into clinical practice regular opportunities to discuss the goals and preferences of the person who is dying for their future medical treatment and care
Palliative care professionals’ willingness to perform euthanasia or physician assisted suicide
What is an “early palliative care” intervention? A scoping review of controlled studies in oncology
Abstract Introduction Early palliative care (EPC) has been advocated to improve cancer patients' health. However, EPC differs with regard to its elements and target groups. It is not known which parts of EPC contribute to effectiveness for which patient group. This scoping review provides a structured analysis of EPC interventions and outcome measures. Design We searched EMBASE, MEDLINE, CINAHL, and CENTRAL up to February 2022. We included randomized controlled trials (RCT), nonrandomized trials, cohort studies (CS), and controlled before‐after studies of EPC in adult patients in English, Dutch, and German language. Interventions had to be self‐labeled as EPC. Screening and data extraction were performed by two raters. A structured analysis incorporating the TIDieR checklist was performed to describe the elements of the interventions. Results We screened 2651 articles, resulting in 40 articles being included: 34 studies were RCT and six studies were CS with a mean sample size of 208 patients. Patients with pancreatic (n = 10) and lung cancer (n = 9) were most often included. Studies reported different reference points for the onset of EPC such as time after diagnosis of incurable cancer (n = 18) or prognosis (n = 9). Thirteen studies provided information about elements of EPC and eight studies about the control intervention. Most frequent elements of EPC were symptom management (n = 28), case management (n = 16), and advance care planning (ACP; n = 15). Most frequently reported outcome measures were health‐related quality of life (n = 26), symptom intensity (n = 6), resource use, and the patient's mood (n = 4 each). Conclusion The elicited heterogeneity of ECP in combination with deficits of reporting are considerable barriers that should be addressed to further develop effective EPC interventions for different groups of cancer patients
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