Clinical Scenarios

Clinical Scenario

Palliative Care


Objectives

By the end of Family Medicine Clerkship, students will be able to:

1. Explain the definition of the following terms and their application in palliative care settings and/or advanced care planning:
a. code status
b. personal care directives
c. substitute decision-makers
d. power of attorney

2. Propose a management plan for patients receiving palliative care with
a. pain
b. nausea
c. constipation
d. dyspnea

3. Identify local resources to support palliative patients & their families.

4. Recognize and seek assistance for the following palliative emergencies: opioid neurotoxicity, spinal cord compression, seizures, acute hemorrhage, and acute confusion/delirium.

Clinical Cards

Microcases

https://cards.ucalgary.ca/deck/368

References

Recommended Resources Addressing the Objectives

Just ask: discussing goals of care with patients in hospital with serious illness. (7 pages)

Objectives covered: 1abc, 3


http://www.cmaj.ca/cgi/pmidlookup?view=long&pmid=23857860
You JJ, Fowler RA, Heyland DK, Canadian Researchers at the End of Life Network (CARENET). Just ask: discussing goals of care with patients in hospital with serious illness. CMAJ 2014 Apr 1;186(6):425-432.
PMID:23857860


Advance directives in the context of end-of-life palliative care (5 pages)

Objectives covered: 1bcd


http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24152977
Perez Mdel V, Macchi MJ, Agranatti AF. Advance directives in the context of end-of-life palliative care. Curr Opin Support Palliat Care 2013 Dec;7(4):406-410.
PMID:24152977


Pharmacologic Pearls for End-of-Life Care (6 pages)

Objectives covered: 2abcd, 4ae


http://www.aafp.org/afp/2009/0615/p1059.pdf
Clary PL, Lawson P. Pharmacologic pearls for end-of-life care. Am Fam Physician 2009 Jun 15;79(12):1059-1065.
PMID:11578023


Management of emergent conditions in palliative care (10 pages)

Objectives covered: 4bcd


http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11406437
Wrede-Seaman LD. Management of emergent conditions in palliative care. Prim Care 2001 Jun;28(2):317-328.
PMID:11406437


Foundational Knowledge

The Calgary Guide – Explaining why the side effects of opiod medications arise

http://calgaryguide.ucalgary.ca/slide.aspx?slide=Side%20Effects%20of%20Opioid%20Medications.jpg


Additional Resources

Emil: Palliative Care online virtual patient case

Objectives covered: 1bcd, 2, 3, 4


http://fmsharc.cfpc.ca/openlabyrinth/mnode.asp?id=qf4jesn1rx7jz1rx7jzu3lpfv