Palliative care for cardiac failure. The Belgian perspective - 09/02/11
Abstract |
Many older patients suffer from chronic diseases. Invariably, there comes a time when life-sustaining therapy no longer is a reasonable and/or desirable option. Chronic heart failure (CHF) is an example of the illness trajectory of progressive organ failure. Progress in medical technology increases the available options so that now CHF affects more people and for a longer period of time. It has been established that the burden of disease in this condition is superior to that of lung cancer patients. Prognostication is even more difficult than in cancer as the trajectory is marked by episodes of acute exacerbations where the issue may be fatal and the patients live with the eventuality of sudden death. Defining a personalized and proactive care plan is of crucial importance.
Le texte complet de cet article est disponible en PDF.Keywords : Palliative care, Heart failure, Elderly, Health services, Belgium
Plan
Vol 2 - N° 1
P. 41-43 - février 2011 Retour au numéroBienvenue sur EM-consulte, la référence des professionnels de santé.
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