Palliative care for people living with cardiac disease.

Palliative care for people living with cardiac disease. Kardiol Pol. 2020 Apr 24;78(4):364-373 Authors: Sobański PZ, Brzezińska Rajszys G, Grodzicki T, Jakubów P, Jankowski P, Kurzyna M, Nessler J, Przybylski A, Ratajska A, Tomkiewicz Pająk L, Uchmanowicz I, Pasierski T Abstract Many cardiovascular diseases lead to heart failure, which is a progressive syndrome causing significant distress and limiting the quality of life, despite optimal cardiologic treatment. It is estimated that about 26 000 people in Poland suffer from advanced heart failure, and this number is growing. That is why palliative care (PC) dedicated to people living with end‑stage cardiac diseases should be urgently implemented in Poland. Well‑organized PC may not only relieve symptoms and improve quality of life in people living with cardiac diseases not responding to treatment but also support patients and their families during the dying process. Palliative care in patients with cardiac diseases should be continued during the end-of-life period. It should be implemented regardless of prognosis, and adjusted to patients' needs. Two approaches to PC are presented in this expert opinion. The first one (generic) is provided by all medical professionals incorporating PC principles into the usual patient care. The second approach, namely, specialized PC, is ensured by a multiprofessional team or at least a PC specialist who received appropriate training in PC. Th...
Source: Polish Heart Journal - Category: Cardiology Authors: Tags: Kardiol Pol Source Type: research