Topics in Palliative Medicine

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MEDICINE

Articles from the medical literature are digested, abstracted, and discussed by our AI hosts, with topics in symptom management, diagnosis, ethics and others.

2 DAYS AGO

009 - Ethics: Life Support after Brain Death

This article presents an ethics case study concerning a 52-year-old male declared brain dead, whose family refuses to remove life support. Multiple perspectives—medical, nursing, chaplain, social work, legal, and ethical—are offered, exploring the conflict between the family's emotional denial of death and the medical team's obligation to uphold accepted medical standards. The case highlights the complexities of defining death in the modern era, the importance of cultural sensitivity in end-o...

21 min
5 DAYS AGO

008 - Diagnostics: Post-radiation Lichen Planus

This case report details a rare instance of post-radiation lichen planus in a 64-year-old male, following radiation therapy for squamous cell carcinoma. The report examines the patient's medical history, clinical presentation, and treatment response to topical triamcinolone. The authors review existing literature on lichen planus, emphasizing its T-cell mediated inflammatory nature and its rare association with radiation therapy. The study highlights the need for further research to understan...

15 min
JAN 3

007 - Diagnostics: Posterior Reversible Encephalopathy Syndrome (PRES) - Don't Miss This Diagnosis!

This case report and accompanying discussion detail Posterior Reversible Encephalopathy Syndrome (PRES), a neurological condition presenting with seizures, visual disturbances, and altered mental status. Often misdiagnosed as more severe conditions like intracranial hemorrhage, PRES demonstrates reversible brain swelling on MRI. The case highlights a patient initially suspected of intracerebral hemorrhage whose diagnosis was revised to PRES, leading to successful treatment and recovery. The a...

14 min
JAN 2

006 - Symptom Management: BJR Method for Methadone Conversion

The BJR method is a novel mathematical approach to methadone conversion that aims to improve upon existing methods by providing a smoother, less discontinuous, and less linear output for a reasonable and safe methadone dose. Here's how it improves upon existing conversion approaches:Addresses Limitations of the Plonk Method: The Plonk method uses a linear equation to calculate methadone dosage, which assumes a linear relationship between methadone and morphine. This method is considered usefu...

16 min
12/31/2024

005 - Cultural: The Therapeutic Baptism : A Case of Missed Cultural Cues in a Terminally Ill Patient

The case study underscores the potential for misinterpreting spiritual distress as psychiatric illness, resulting in inappropriate treatment. Clinicians should learn several key lessons from the case of Mr. G, primarily emphasizing the importance of addressing patients' spiritual needs alongside their physical ailments.Open communication: Clinicians should initiate open-ended questions about a patient's spiritual beliefs as part of a routine assessment. Questions like "do you consider yo...

27 min
12/31/2024

004 - Ethics: Suicide and Self Determination - what are the limits to autonomy when a patient lacks capacity?

This ethics roundtable discussion centers on the case of JG, a 45-year-old man who attempted suicide and subsequently suffered severe brain damage. The article presents differing perspectives from medical, nursing, risk management, ethics, pastoral, social work, and legal professionals regarding the ethical implications of his wife's request to withdraw life support and the physician's recommendation for a tracheostomy. The central ethical dilemmas explored involve patient autonomy versus ben...

26 min
12/28/2024

003 - Ethics: State-Erected Barriers to End-of-Life Care

This ethics roundtable discussion analyzes a case study where a patient's daughter-in-law, the primary caregiver, seeks to withdraw life support, but state law restricts surrogacy to blood relatives or spouses. The discussion explores the ethical and legal implications of this restrictive law, highlighting the conflict between the patient's best interests and the letter of the law. Experts in palliative medicine, spiritual health, law, and ethics contribute varying perspectives on surrogacy, ...

11 min
12/28/2024

002 - Ethics: Surrogacy, Religious Beliefs, and Medical Treatment

Ethical and legal considerations surrounding a comatose Jehovah's Witness patient's need for a life-saving blood transfusion are debated. The patient's parents, also Jehovah's Witnesses, refuse consent, while her brother advocates for the transfusion, claiming she wasn't a practicing member. The case highlights the conflict between parental surrogacy rights, the patient's autonomy, and the physician's responsibility to provide beneficial care. Multiple perspectives—medical, nursing, social wo...

23 min
12/28/2024

001 - Ethics: Surrogate Decision Making at End of Life

Who makes the decision if the patient lacks capacity? Multiple healthcare professionals offer varying perspectives on the ethical and legal dilemma surrounding the care of a 93-year-old comatose patient (JH). A conflict exists between JH's legally appointed Power of Attorney (POA), his hired caregiver, who wants aggressive treatment, and his son, who advocates for comfort care only. The central issue is whether to honor the POA's decision despite concerns about potential conflicts of in...

21 min

9 Episodes

Articles from the medical literature are digested, abstracted, and discussed by our AI hosts, with topics in symptom management, diagnosis, ethics and others.

Creator

Topics in Palliative Medicine
Years Active

2024 - 2025
Episodes

9
Rating

Explicit
Show Website

Topics in Palliative Medicine

Topics in Palliative Medicine

Episodes

009 - Ethics: Life Support after Brain Death

008 - Diagnostics: Post-radiation Lichen Planus

007 - Diagnostics: Posterior Reversible Encephalopathy Syndrome (PRES) - Don't Miss This Diagnosis!

006 - Symptom Management: BJR Method for Methadone Conversion

005 - Cultural: The Therapeutic Baptism : A Case of Missed Cultural Cues in a Terminally Ill Patient

004 - Ethics: Suicide and Self Determination - what are the limits to autonomy when a patient lacks capacity?

003 - Ethics: State-Erected Barriers to End-of-Life Care

002 - Ethics: Surrogacy, Religious Beliefs, and Medical Treatment

001 - Ethics: Surrogate Decision Making at End of Life

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