2 CHRONIC PAIN MANAGEMENT, PALLIATIVE AND END-OF-LIFE CARE Contents Description..................................................................................................................................................3 Introduction.............................................................................................................................................3 Principles that govern the care of patients...............................................................................................3 Feelings and Evaluation..............................................................................................................................4 Pharmacological and evidence-based complementary therapy................................................................4 Acupuncture........................................................................................................................................6 Hypnotherapy......................................................................................................................................7 Aromatherapy......................................................................................................................................7 Reflexology, Tai chi and Yoga............................................................................................................8 Mental health considerations...................................................................................................................8 Ethical and Legal issues in advanced care planning................................................................................9 Analysis.....................................................................................................................................................10 Conclusion.................................................................................................................................................10 Action Plan................................................................................................................................................10 References.................................................................................................................................................11
3 CHRONIC PAIN MANAGEMENT, PALLIATIVE AND END-OF-LIFE CARE Description Introduction Ensuring that a patient is comfortable as they undertake their treatment is the very definition of nursing. It is a very delicate process, especially when the patient is suffering from a terminal illness. Patients with terminal diseases undergo a lot of pain, both physical and psychological. In the case of Michelle, physical pain is brought about by the breast cancer itself. She says that undergoing the cancer treatment was very difficult. She says that the revelation that she had breast cancer turned her world upside down (media.pcc4u.org). The psychological pain in this case begins with the loss of hair. Further, Michelle is devastated by the news of her relapse (media.pcc4u.org).Managing this pain is the one way of enabling them to lead a life with some semblance of normality. Several tenets govern how this matter is approached. Understanding these principles accords physicians with the knowledge needed to adequately care for their patients. Pain management for terminal illness can be palliative or end-of-life care. The philosophy of palliative care is to improve the quality of life of patients in chronic pain, and those with life-limiting illnesses (O'Brien and Kane, 2014). Palliative care is given to patients seeking to extend their life whereas the end of life care such as hospice is given to patients with the intention of alleviating their suffering, as they approach their death (Mayet al.,2015). Palliative care is also important in helping the patient’s kin cope with the knowledge of the pain of their loved one. In the case of Michelle, Peter, her husband is aware that the triple negative breast cancer that Michelle has is terminal (media.pcc4u.org). A palliative caregiver has to help Peter accept that his wife will die, and help him go through the pain. This paper will give an
4 CHRONIC PAIN MANAGEMENT, PALLIATIVE AND END-OF-LIFE CARE analysis of palliative, chronic and end of life care using Gibbs reflective cycle (Husebø, O’Regan andNeste) Principles that govern the care of patients The principles include the principles of autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, and justice. The principle of autonomy involves the self-governance by the patient. It means that patients have a prerogative to information concerning their medication and choose a treatment method that they deem suitable (Rahmani, Ghahramanian, and Alahbakhshian, 2010). During caregiving, nurses can access a lot of a patient's personal information. Nurses have the responsibility of respecting the patient's private matters and only focus on ensuring the patient's comfort. If a patient opts not to take a medication that is beneficial to them, the nurse must respect that decision. In Michelle’s case, nurses have to provide information of all the medication she will be taking and all the pain relieving procedures she will be subjected to. The principle of beneficence is concerned with minimizing potential harm and maximizing the benefits of medical care to a patient (Haddad and Geiger, 2019). The caregivers must, therefore, avoid maltreatment of patients and help them in doing activities that the patients re unable to carry out on their own. The principle of non-maleficence protects the patient from harm, intentional or otherwise. It, however, put the nurse in a morally compromising situation if the patient refuses to take medication that can save their lives. Finally, the principle of justice ensures that a patient is treated fairly and equally. For instance, a patient in the rural setting has the right to access medical facilities available to a patient in urban areas. Palliative and end-of-life caregivers must, therefore, incorporate all these principles in the treatment of their patients (Myburghet al.,2016).
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5 CHRONIC PAIN MANAGEMENT, PALLIATIVE AND END-OF-LIFE CARE Feelings and Evaluation Pharmacological and evidence-based complementary therapy Pain is pervasive and can be physical, emotional, and even spiritual. Physical pain is broadly classified into nociceptive and neuropathic pains (Clark, 2015; Newton, 2018). Nociceptive pain occurs as a result of damage to the body. The damage is captured by nociceptors, which send nerve impulses to the brain that recognize it as pain. On the other hand, neuropathic pain is caused by injury to the nervous system. Unlike nociceptive pain, neuropathic pain does not occur in response to external stimuli, for instance, phantom limb pain, which is experienced by amputated patients even in the absence of aching. Emotional suffering is usually in the form of fear, anger, and depression. The imminent knowledge of chronic pain and death triggers fear of what follows in the patient. On discovering that she has breast cancer, Michelle’s heart breaks. She feels hopeless, and helpless (“…my whole world turned upside down.”) (media.pcc4u.org). Anger is caused by the thought of being unfairly treated by the universe. Patients with life- limiting illnesses become angry because they can no longer live as before, and the anger may be directed at the caregivers, healthy people, and even oneself. Failure to treat fear and anger results in depression, which accelerates the rate of deterioration of the patient. Physicians must understand the kind of suffering being experienced by patients with life-limiting illnesses, to better know how to handle it and care for them. It is crucial for the caregiver to understand the feelings of the patient in order to care for them adequately. It is however; very difficult to know how someone in pain is feeling emotionally. To get to know how a patient is doing involves having a conversation with them. Such discussions, for instance, the end of life discussion, are difficult to initiate because they revolve around death, and are usually with someone who knows that they are dying (Maciejewski, and Prigerson,
6 CHRONIC PAIN MANAGEMENT, PALLIATIVE AND END-OF-LIFE CARE 2013). Getting to understand a patient's feelings is a very sensitive part of pain control in patients with a terminal illness, and thus in many cases, it is usually avoided. Physicians are nevertheless expected to know the emotional state of the patients, which will help them understand how to ensure the patients' comfort. While remaining emotionally neutral and being sensitive at the same time, the physician should ask the patient questions concerning their (patient's) perception of life prior to being diagnosed and afterward. Questions such as, "what did you feel during the diagnosis? ", and "how did you handle the news of your condition? ", will enable the caregiver to understand the illness from the patient's point of view, and therefore maximize the care to be given. Talking about the emotions of the patient is also therapeutic in that, it relieves the patient of feelings of fear and anger, which may otherwise result in depression. Furthermore, talking with the patient will psychologically help them accept their illness, and prepare them for what will follow. The conversation is also a way of creating a rapport between the caregiver and the patient. A good relationship between the patient and the physician makes the work of the physician less frustrating and thus can effectively care for the patient. The quality of life lived is more preferred by people compared to the quantity of life. It is why a patient in excruciating pain will choose an early death, over the prospect of extending their life, especially if the illness is terminal (Singh and Chaturvedi, 2015). Over the years, medical care has leaned more on extending the life of a patient than its quality. The radiotherapies, surgeries, chemotherapies, etc. have all been focused on eliminating cancerous cells in cancer patients, and thereby overlooking the suffering brought by these treatments on the patient. The effects of chemotherapy, for instance, are more debilitating as compared to the cancer itself, since the medications target fast growing cells, bone marrow cells included.
7 CHRONIC PAIN MANAGEMENT, PALLIATIVE AND END-OF-LIFE CARE Research has shown that no level of technological advancement in medicine so far can completely eliminate the pain experienced by cancer patients. However, to make life more bearable even when death is inevitable, cancer patients and their physicians have opted for complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), in addition to pharmacological medications. Mills, Torrance, and Smith, (2016), state that a higher percentage (over 70%), of patients with chronic pain, have benefited from CAM. Complementary medications mostly used in to relieve chronic pain include homeopathy, acupuncture, chiropractic, osteopathy, herbalism, and on rare occasions, aromatherapy and hypnosis. Acupuncture Acupuncture a component of traditional Chinese medicine, has been extensively applied in alleviating chronic pain. It involves the use of needles to stimulate some particular points on the body. The stimulation helps suppress cancer pain by causing pain (Gate Control Theory). The effectiveness of this method has been shown; for example, it has helped in reducing vomiting in patients undergoing chemotherapy. It has also been shown to relieve pain and stiffness, flashes in women with breast cancer and men with prostate cancer and xerostomia. Hypnotherapy Hypnosis involves the patient in a dazed state to make them relaxed and prone to suggestion. Research has shown that hypnotized people do not lose control of their mind, and therefore what they say or do is what they will typically say or do while conscious. Hypnotherapy has been shown to bring about pain relief in more than 75% of cancer patients (Singh and Chaturvedi, 2015). Research has also shown that hypnosis alleviates the fear, worry, and anxiety associated with a cancer diagnosis, and therefore helps in bringing about the acceptance of one's condition. Furthermore, research shows that hypnosis is able to alleviate anticipatory nausea and vomiting,
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8 CHRONIC PAIN MANAGEMENT, PALLIATIVE AND END-OF-LIFE CARE which tend to occur before chemotherapy, especially if previous exposure to chemotherapy has already caused nausea and vomiting. Hypnosis has also shown positive effects of improving cancer patients' fatigue and hot flashes. It can, therefore, be used to relieve patients in palliative and end of life care of their pain. Aromatherapy Aromatherapy involves the use of the extract from certain plants to lessen pain. That elixir is either added to bathwater, used in massage or inhaled with steam. Aroma therapists have recommended the use of oils from plants such as Syzigium aromaticum (clove), Cupressus sempervirens (cypress) and Pelargonium graveolens (geranium). Lavender and citrus oils of a good quality are also useful for relieving stress. Aromatherapy has been shown to cause short term benefits on depression, anxiety, improved sleep and better pain control among cancer patients, and thus improve their wellbeing. Reflexology, Tai chi and Yoga. The other CAM method used to lessen end of life pain is reflexology. The pressure is applied to specific points on the body, which brings helps to relieve stress and cause physiological changes that reduce the recognition of pain. Tai chi and yoga are also thought to cause pain relief in patients with life limiting illnesses. The poses and stretches bring about the wellness of the mind spirit, and body, which help in reducing the severity of chemotherapy and other cancer treatment medications. Mental health considerations The excessive pain and knowledge of imminent death can be traumatizing to a patient in palliative and end of life care. As a nurse in charge of their wellbeing, ensuring that they are psychologically well is of utmost importance. Agonizing situations can affect a patient's mental
9 CHRONIC PAIN MANAGEMENT, PALLIATIVE AND END-OF-LIFE CARE health negatively, which results in mental conditions such as post traumatic disorder and depression. Mental disorders exacerbate the illness. Feelings of exhaustion, hopelessness, anxiety, sadness, and a general lack of interest in life are usually associated with depression (Woo, Maytal, and Stern, 2006). Such emotions interfere with pain treatment since the patient is usually resigned to their suffering. Furthermore, depression may result in bipolar disorder, a condition that is characterized by extreme shifts in mood episodes. Bipolar disorder and other such conditions aggravate their pain by making it hard for caregivers to optimally caring for the patients. The concept of total pain is used when diagnosing and assessing a patient's pain. Rome, Luminais, and Blais, (2011), define total pain as encompassing physical, psychological, social, and spiritual suffering. When taking care of a patient in chronic pain, the caregiver must take into account the effects of the pain to the mental status of the patient. In addition, a caregiver must consider that the consequences of pain such as anxiety may show symptoms that resemble those of other mental illnesses, and therefore care must be taken not to administer the wrong medication. Some conventional medicines for pain treatment can also adversely affect the mental state of the patient. Benzodiazepines, for example, have aftereffects which include impairment of coordination, addiction, and reduced memory (Substance abuse and mental health service administration, 2012). Opioids also have adverse effects on the patient, such as addiction, opioid- induced hyperalgesia, and serotonin syndrome due to drug-drug interactions. A caregiver must, therefore, understand all the factors and their effect on the mental wellbeing during palliative and end-of-life care.
10 CHRONIC PAIN MANAGEMENT, PALLIATIVE AND END-OF-LIFE CARE Ethical and Legal issues in advanced care planning. Sudoreet al.,(2017),define advanced care planning as a process that enables patients to make their own medical decisions, at a time when they are too debilitated to do so. They further state that Advanced care planning (ACP) is geared to ensuring that patients receive medical care that is in line with their principles, objectives, and preferences (Sudoreet al.,2017). Both the statute and common laws in Australia and the world as a whole, have guidelines that ensure patients are adequately cared for, even when they cannot make the decisions. The law mandates that a patient decide how they want to be cared for. It provides for the appointment of a substitute decision-maker (a person who makes medical decisions for the patient when the patient cannot do so), by the patients themselves (Austin Health, 2018). The law further States that for an "unbefriended" patient, the substitute decision-maker should be provided by the state, or should be appointed by the guardianship tribunal (Austin Health, 2018, Moyeet al.,2017, Jenniferet al.,2017). Analysis Patients in pain relieving programs are there for pain relief, and pain relief is the sole purpose of palliative and end-of-life care treatment. A caregiver must always put the comfort of the patient before any other thing, their (caregiver’s) principles included. The CAM methods, when used alongside conventional methods for pain management Such as administration of analgesic medications, significantly reduce the lack of comfort and debilitating fatigue in patients undergoing palliative and end of life pain management.
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11 CHRONIC PAIN MANAGEMENT, PALLIATIVE AND END-OF-LIFE CARE Conclusion Patient wellbeing holds precedence over any other engagement to a nurse. Palliative and end-of- life caregivers must, therefore, ensure that the patient is as comfortable as possible. They should make sure that the patient benefits from the care and minimize their suffering since that is the sole purpose of palliative and end-of-life care. Action Plan Taking care of a patient in chronic pain is one very difficult task in a nurse’s carrier. It is however fulfilling to a nurse to know that the job was done well. It is therefore imperative to include complementary and alternative medicine in palliative and end-of-life care, to ensure the patient is as comfortable as possible.
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