title: Palliative Wound Care for Malignant Fungating Wounds: Holistic Considerations at End-of-Life.
abstract: Timely, holistic interventions aimed at easing the despair of patients with advanced cancer and malignant fungating wounds (MFWs) must incorporate patient and family goals of care in all aspects of decision-making. People with MFWs suffer from a devastating and often crippling symptom burden including disfigurement, pain, pruritus, malodor, exudates, and bleeding. These symptoms may lead to psychosocial and/or spiritual distress, isolation, and diminished quality of life. The complexity of caring for hospice patients with MFWs requires a pragmatic and holistic interdisciplinary approach guided by specialist-level palliative wound care. This article introduces a framework to assist clinicians in the assessment and management of terminally ill patients with MFWs.
authors: International Advanced Practice Palliative Care Partners, LLC, New York, NY 10014, USA; New York University College of Nursing, New York, NY 10016, USA; VNSNY Hospice and Palliative Care, New York, NY 10001, USA. Electronic address: tillec01@nyu.edu.
authors: Charles
authors: C
authors: Tilley
authors: Observation Unit, NYU Langone Medical Center, New York, NY 10016, USA.
authors: Jana
authors: J
authors: Lipson
authors: Medical-Surgical Unit, Northwell Lenox Hill Hospital, New York, NY 10075, USA.
authors: Mark
authors: M
authors: Ramos
mesh_terms: D005122:Exudates and Transudates; D018939:Holistic Nursing / Q000379:methods*; D064946:Hospice and Palliative Care Nursing / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000451:nursing* / Q000523:psychology*; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000451:nursing* / Q000523:psychology*
keywords: Fungating wounds; Malignant fungating wound; Malignant wounds; Odor; Psychological; Qualitative; Quality of life; Symptoms