Antea Worldwide Palliative Care Conference

Rome, 12-14 November 2008

ABSTRACT FORM

Presenting author Palliative care and evidence based medicine in Neurology

Francesco Orzi
Authors (max 6, presenting author included): Francesco Orzi
Email:
francesco.orzi@uniroma1.it
Palliative interventions in neurology are being covered by an emerging field,
Phone which bridges neurology and palliative medicine into a new subspecialty.
Neurologic diseases may differ from the traditional diseases cared for by
palliative care physicians because of the often long progressive course, in
Mobile phone contrast to the relentless progression seen in many cancers. Given these
obstinate features, prognostication is much more difficult in neurology and
prolonged periods of accumulating disability much more common. Many
Please underline the most
disease that clearly have palliative care needs, have been given relatively
appropriate category for your little attention in the palliative care. These include muscular dystrophies,
abstract Huntington disease, sequela of brain injury, and stroke, amyotrophic lateral
sclerosis, cerebral neoplasms, HIV infection, and multiple sclerosis, and
• Pain and other symptoms dementia. A person with dementia, for instance, challenges the neurologist
• Palliative care for cancer patients with problems and needs traditionally not covered in academic trainings. The
• Palliative care for non cancer care of people with severe dementia largely involves compensating for their
patients
diminishing ability to fulfill basic needs by providing assistance in areas such
• Paediatric palliative care as activities of daily living, mobility, safety and function, toileting, mouth
• Palliative care for the elderly
care, and grooming. The prevention, management, or elimination of
discomfort such as pain, constipation, skin deterioration, malnutrition,
• The actors of palliative care
physical exhaustion, and adverse drug reactions are also areas that are
• Latest on drugs
central to the provision of basic physical care. A person-oriented attitude,
• Pain however, can come at the expense of a task oriented, objective and guided
approach that is central to the evidence-based medicine.
• Illness and suffering through
Thus, while palliative approaches appropriately include phenomenological
media
perspectives, and stress the care for the person more than for the disease, a
• Marginalisation and social stigma main question remains about how to measure and explore clinical outcomes
at the end of life of neurological palliative care. Answering such a question would be functional
• Palliative care advocacy projects to maintain both the benefit of a person-centered care and the quality of the
• Prognosis and diagnosis
scientific evidence.
communication in
different cultures
• Communication between doctor-
patient and patient-
equipe
• Religions and cultures versus
suffering, death and
bereavement
• Public institution in the world:
palliative care policies
and law
• Palliative care: from villages to metropolies

• Space, light and gardens for the terminally ill patient

• End-of-life ethics
• Complementary therapies Session: Rehabilitation in palliative care
• Education, training and research
• Fund-raising and no-profit Chair of the session: Claudio Pellegrini
• Bereavement support
• Volunteering in palliative care
• Rehabilitation in palliative care