ABSTRACT
Extended－release Oxycodone tablet has been available for cancer pain treatment since 2003 in Japan. After pure oxycodone injection became available in 2012, we have tried to switch from oral to injection when oral intake becomes difficult because of bowel obstruction, nausea or drowsiness due to progression of the disease. There is no evidence regarding the ratio of switching from oral to injection at present in Japan. We always pay attention to avoid patients drowsiness because of an overdose of opioid, because there is not enough time left for cancer patients in the terminal stage, and drowsiness takes away from the patient’s good QOL. We switched Oxycodone from oral to injection in 8 cases from June to December in 2012. At first, we assess if the patient is well controlled by oral oxycodone or not. If the patient is not relieved from the pain enough, we switch oxycodone from oral to continuous subcutaneous injection with a dose of around 75％ at first. After that we titrate the dose little by little up to an appropriate level. We were able to evaluate 5 patients out of 8 because there were 3 patients with consciousness disorder. As a result, we were able to decrease dosage to 46.4％ on average.
ABSTRACT
In Palliative care, we meet patients with easy-bleeding superficial malignant tumors, such as head and neck cancer, skin metastasis of all kinds of cancer and unresectable breast cancer. But it is not easy to control bleeding even though we use various means, and many doctors have difficulties in stopping bleeding. We report a case with a recurrent tumor of pharyngeal cancer that showed easy-bleeding and discharged massive exudates. Although she received several alcohol local injections because of bleeding of the tumor, she needed a dressing change over 5 times in a day. It made her QOL worse. In this case, we used Mohs paste and after using it, the surface had been fixed and dried up, resulting in a decrease in bleeding, exudate, frequency of dressing change and bad odor. Mohs paste was made of distilled water, zinc chloride, zinc starch and Glycerol. Zinc chloride changes to zinc ion by water in the wound and makes protein cohere and thereafter tissues, vessels and cell membrane of bacteria are fixed chemically. We could stop bleeding for 15 days with only 20 minutes contact with Mohs paste, and massive exudates and bad odor decreased. Mohs paste, which is made in your hospital pharmacy with cheap materials, can be used for bleeding or massive exudates repeatedly if there is not a thick blood vessel anatomically under the tumor. It was effective to improve her QOL. Palliat Care Res 2009; 4(2): 346-350
ABSTRACT
The purpose of this study was to investigate differences between first-year (n=97) and second-year medical students (n=102) in their reactions to a community-based early clinical exposure program. Questionnaires completed after their participation in the program showed that first-and second-year students did not differ in their interest in practical training in nursing homes and wards of the university hospital or in a presentation given by a family member of a cancer patient who had died in the hospital (Chi square test, p<0.05). However, second-year students were more likely to report that they understood the family's presentation well, whereas first-year students were more likely to report they could communicate with elderly or disabled persons. Several facilities in the community criticized the students' attitudes toward practical training. We believe the reason for the criticism was insufficient advance preparation.