title: Symptom Management and End-of-Life Care in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.
abstract: The number of available symptomatic treatments has markedly enhanced the care of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Once thought to be untreatable, patients with ALS today clearly benefit from multidisciplinary care. The impact of such care on the disease course, including rate of progression and mortality, has surpassed the treatment effects commonly sought in clinical drug trials. Unfortunately, there are few randomized controlled trials of medications or interventions addressing symptom management. In this review, the authors provide the level of evidence, when available, for each intervention that is currently considered standard of care by consensus opinion.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Texas Health Science Center, 8300 Floyd Curl Drive, Mail Code 7883, San Antonio, TX 78229-3900, USA.
authors.forename: Carlayne E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Jackson
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Kansas Medical Center, 3901 Rainbow Boulevard, Mailstop 2012, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA.
authors.forename: April L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: McVey
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, 501 Jackson Stephens Drive, Room 769, Little Rock, AR 72205-7199, USA.
authors.forename: Stacy
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rudnicki
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Kansas Medical Center, 3901 Rainbow Boulevard, Mailstop 2012, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA. Electronic address: mdmachkie@kumc.edu.
authors.forename: Mazen M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Dimachkie
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Kansas Medical Center, 3901 Rainbow Boulevard, Mailstop 2012, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA.
authors.forename: Richard J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Barohn
mesh_terms: D000690:Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis / Q000150:complications / Q000451:nursing* / Q000628:therapy*; D019468:Disease Management; D006801:Humans; D013727:Terminal Care
keywords: Constipation; Edema; Laryngospasm; Noninvasive ventilation; Pseudobulbar affect; Secretion management; Sialorrhea; Urinary urgency