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Palliative Medicine guides
20 plain-English, evidence-linked guides in Palliative Medicine, with clinical review status shown on each page.
Anticipatory ('just in case') medicines (Anticipatory medication planning for the last days of life)Planning ahead so that medicines to ease symptoms such as pain, breathlessness, restlessness, sickness and noisy breathing are ready at home if someone is approaching the last days of life.Anxiety and distress management (palliative care) (Management of anxiety and psychological distress in palliative care)How a palliative care team helps with anxiety, fear and distress, which are very common when living with a serious or terminal illness, using both talking-based support and, when needed, medicines.Breathlessness management (Management of breathlessness (dyspnoea) in palliative care)Practical techniques and, where needed, medicines to ease breathlessness and the fear that comes with it in a serious illness, so you feel more in control and more comfortable.Cancer pain managementExpert use of painkillers and other treatments to ease pain caused by cancer or its treatment, so you can be more comfortable and do more of what matters to you.Constipation management (palliative care) (Management of constipation in palliative care)How a palliative care team prevents and treats constipation, which is very common in serious illness and especially when strong pain medicines (opioids) are used.Draining fluid from around the lung (pleural effusion) (Pleural effusion drainage (thoracentesis / pleural aspiration))A way of easing breathlessness by using a needle or thin tube, put in under local anaesthetic, to drain fluid that has built up around a lung.Draining fluid from the tummy (ascites) (Therapeutic paracentesis for ascites)A way of relieving discomfort by using a thin tube, put in under local anaesthetic, to drain fluid that has built up inside the tummy.End-of-life care planning (Advance care planning)A conversation, written down, where you set out your wishes for your care and treatment in case there is a time later when you cannot speak for yourself.Fatigue management (palliative care) (Management of fatigue in palliative care)How a palliative care team helps you manage fatigue, the overwhelming tiredness and weakness that is one of the most common and disabling symptoms of serious illness.Home palliative care support (Community palliative care (care at home))Specialist and practical support that helps people with a serious or life-limiting illness stay comfortable and cared for in their own home.Hospice referral and care (Specialist palliative care (hospice services))Specialist care for people with a serious or life-limiting illness, focused on comfort, symptoms and support for the whole person and their family.Lymphoedema assessment and management (Assessment and management of lymphoedema)How a lymphoedema service assesses and manages the long-term swelling caused by a build-up of lymph fluid, often after cancer treatment, using skin care, compression, exercise and specialised massage.Management of malignant bowel obstruction (palliative care) (Management of malignant bowel obstruction)How a palliative care team manages a bowel that has become blocked because of cancer, weighing up medical treatment, a stent or surgery, with comfort and symptom control as the central aim.Nausea and vomiting management (Management of nausea and vomiting in palliative care)Finding the cause of feeling or being sick in a serious illness and treating it with the right anti-sickness medicine and practical measures, so you feel more comfortable and can eat and drink more easily.Nerve (neuropathic) pain management (palliative care) (Management of neuropathic pain in palliative care)How a palliative care team manages nerve (neuropathic) pain, a burning, shooting or tingling pain caused by damaged or irritated nerves, using a layered approach of different medicines and other treatments.Opioid (strong painkiller) management (Opioid management in palliative care)The careful use of strong painkillers such as morphine to ease pain or breathlessness, set up and adjusted so they work safely with as few side effects as possible.Palliative medicine consultation (Specialist palliative medicine consultation)An appointment with a palliative medicine specialist to help you live as well as possible with a serious illness, by improving symptoms, support and planning.Psychological and family support (Psychological, emotional and family support in palliative care)Emotional, psychological and practical support for people with a serious or life-limiting illness and for the people close to them, including bereavement support.Specialist symptom control (Specialist palliative care for symptom control)Expert help to ease the symptoms of a serious or life-limiting illness — such as pain, sickness, breathlessness or tiredness — so you can live as well and as comfortably as possible.Syringe driver (continuous infusion under the skin) (Continuous subcutaneous infusion (syringe driver / syringe pump))A small battery pump that gives a steady flow of symptom-relief medicine through a fine tube just under the skin, used when tablets are no longer suitable — for example if swallowing or keeping things down is difficult.
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