[End of life care in children with cancer and problems--pediatric palliative care at hospital and home].
We cared 28 life limiting children with cancer in the past five years. Two patients died at home and the rest of them died at hospitals. Most children older than 11 years understood their disease. On the other hand, poor prognosis at the end stage was not noticed precisely to most of them. We recommended that they spend time with their families as long as possible. There were some problems associated with going back home. Those were as follows: a decision making was difficult for the patients because some of them were very young or unconcious not awake, not enough time for the patient's family to get ready for a home palliative care, or the patients who need frequent transfusions. In palliative care of children with the end of life stage cancer, it is essential that more co-medicals and other professions should be involved in order to strive for a good quality of life.
Osugi
Yuko
Y
Dept. of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Pediatric Medical Center, Osaka City General Hospital.
Higashiura
Takeshi
T
Okada
Keiko
K
Park
Young Dong
YD
Hara
Junichi
J
D000293:Adolescent; D017028:Caregivers; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003657:Decision Making; D005260:Female; D006699:Home Care Services; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D010166:Palliative Care; D010348:Patient Care Team; D011788:Quality of Life; D013727:Terminal Care; D014474:Unconsciousness / Q000209:etiology; D055815:Young Adult