ABSTRACT
Recently, the palliative care team (PCT) at our hospital has included dentists. Among a total of 127 cancer patientsand required PCT intervention from 2009 to 2014, 17 patients (13.3%) had oral symptoms. Therefore, the PCT held discussions in order to determine the optimal way to treat each patient. Various symptoms, including oral pain, dry mouth, taste disturbance, furred tongue, excessive amounts of saliva, appetite loss, and trismus were treated by the dentists. As a result, the oral findings improved in all patients, while the oral symptoms improved in 16 of the 17 patients (94%). Thanks to the fact that dentists have joined the PCT, oral symptoms are effectively relieved, and PCT members now have an increased interest in oral cavity complications. Furthermore, conducting thorough examinations of the oral cavity by the PCT not only results in an improved QOL, but it has also increased the interest in the oral cavity on the part of the PCT. Therefore, more effective palliative care is expected to be achieved by promoting increased cooperation with more clinical departments.
ABSTRACT
Palliative care team（PCT）, nutrition support team（NST）and office of nutrition in our hospital developed a special soup service, which was served for ten patients faced with terminal cancer. The members of PCT, NST and the Cook served a special soup to ten patients. Nine of them could taste the soup without vomiting although they had anorexia. It was a good result. The number of days from the last day tasting the soup to death or hospital transfer was between 3 and 20 days（12.5 days on average）, and the number of times they could taste the soup was between 1 and 3（2.0 times on average）. Tasting the soup supports the strength of living, and might bring an improvement in spiritual quality of life.
ABSTRACT
The 38-years old woman was hospitalized due to peritonitis carcinomatosa after 8 months, since the operation for advanced gastric cancer. Although the dosage of domperidone suppository, metoclopramide injection and haloperidol injection was started to prevent her from vomiting, it was stopped because of the complication of extrapyramidal symptoms. Instead of previous prescription, the traditional Japanese medicine, ice candy of rikkunshito, was prepared and started to give her. After its dosage, the number of vomit was gradually decreased, and she was permitted to go back her home. Before a dosage of ice candy of rikkunshito, it was impossible for her to eat orally even if she felt hungry and had appetite, which caused a strong grief to her. Ice candy of rikkunshito is a smooth medicine and expected to prevent from vomiting while an intake of ice candy orally. Hence, it is considered that there is possibility to have effectiveness both physically and psychologically. After few days from going back home, she caused a consciousness impediment. Her last stay at home was only few hours. After one month since then, she died leaving her message,“I was tired out, but happy to stay at my home.”