About the Book
50 Pharmacotherapy Studies Every Palliative Practitioner Should Know is a compilation of key pharmacotherapy studies that form the foundation of evidence-based practice. The studies cover topics including: agitation and delirium, fatigue, nausea and vomiting, pain, anorexia and cachexia, ALS, seizure, dyspnea, anxiety, pruritis, symptom clusters, COPD, cancer, and more. For each study, a concise summary is presented with an emphasis on the results and
limitations of the study, and its implications for practice. Brief information on other relevant studies is provided, and an illustrative clinical case offers readers the opportunity to conceptualize findings. As
with all books in the "50 Studies" series, each study was selected using an objective selection criterion that included citations per year, high levels of evidence, clinical studies and trials, and a 3-stage Delphi review by international experts in the field. This book is a must-read for palliative practitioners, pharmacists, advance practice nurses, and physician assistants, and anyone who wants to learn more about the data behind clinical practice.
Table of Contents:
Contributors 1 Low-Dose Neuroleptics for Treating Delirium 2 Dexamethasone in Addition to Metoclopramide for Chronic Nausea in Patients With Advanced Cancer 3 Ibandronate Compared to Radiotherapy for Metastatic Bone Pain in Patients With Solid Tumors 4 Duloxetine for Cancer-Related Neuropathic Pain 5 Methadone as a Coanalgesic 6 Methadone Versus Fentanyl for Nociceptive Cancer Pain 7 Improving Metastatic Bone Pain With Opioid Adjuvants: Low-Dose Antidepressants and Low-Dose Pregabalin 8 Intranasal Midazolam Versus Rectal Diazepam for the Home Treatment of Acute Seizures 9 Isopropyl Alcohol Nasal Inhalation for Nausea in the Emergency Department: A Randomized Controlled Trial 10 Methylphenidate for Cancer-Related Fatigue 11 Duloxetine for the Treatment of Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy 12 Efficacy of Oral Risperidone, Haloperidol, or Placebo for Symptoms of Delirium Among Patients in Palliative Care: A Randomized Clinical Trial 13 The Use of Very Low-Dose Methadone for Palliative Pain Control 14 Opioid Therapy for Dyspnea Associated With Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease: Benefits and Harms 15 Effect of Prophylactic Subcutaneous Scopolamine Butylbromide on Death Rattle in Patients at the End of Life 16 Palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) as Adjunctive Therapy May Offer Benefit to Patients With Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) 17 Haloperidol as an Adjunct Therapy for Pain and Nausea in Acute Gastroparesis 18 Neuroleptic Strategies for Terminal Agitation in Patients With Cancer and Delirium at an Acute Palliative Care Unit: A Single-Center, Double-Blind, Parallel-Group, Randomized Trial 19 Methadone Versus Morphine as a First-Line Strong Opioid for Cancer Pain 20 Methylnaltrexone for Opioid-Induced Constipation 21 Lorazepam and Haloperidol Versus Haloperidol Monotherapy for the Treatment of Agitated Delirium 22 Treatment of Cancer-Related Fatigue With Dexamethasone 23 Octreotide in Malignant Bowel Obstruction 24 Efficacy of Levetiracetam, Fosphenytoin, and Valproate for Established Status Epilepticus by Age Group (ESETT): A Double-Blind, Responsive-Adaptive, Randomized Controlled Trial 25 Donepezil and Memantine for Moderate-to-Severe Alzheimer Disease: When Is It Appropriate to Discontinue Therapy? 26 Use of Mirtazapine for Cancer-Associated Anorexia and Cachexia 27 Epidemiology of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Effect of Riluzole on Disease Course 28 Topical Lorazepam, Diphenhydramine, and Haloperidol for Nausea in Cancer Patients 29 Gabapentin for Uremic Itching 30 Treatment of Malodorous Tumors With Topical Metronidazole 31 The Effect of Cannabis on Appetite and Quality of Life in Patients With Cancer-Related Anorexia-Cachexia Syndrome 32 Olanzapine for the Treatment of Advanced Cancer-Related Chronic ausea and/ or Vomiting 33 Safety and Benefit of Discontinuing Statin Therapy in Advanced Life-Limiting Illness 34 Corticosteroids for Cancer-Related Pain, Fatigue, and Anorexia 35 Role of Paracetamol (Acetaminophen) for Cancer Pain Requiring High-Dose Opioids 36 Treatment of Painful Wounds With Topical Morphine 37 Dexamethasone in the Prophylaxis of Radiation-Induced Pain Flare After alliative Radiotherapy for Bone Metastases 38 Psilocybin for Depression and Anxiety in Cancer Patients 39 The Use of Opioids for Breakthrough Pain in Acute Palliative Care Unit by sing Doses Proportional to Opioid Basal Regimen 40 Perioperative Pregabalin for Prevention of Postmastectomy Pain yndrome 41 Morphine for Chronic Breathlessness 42 Hyoscine Butylbromide for the Management of Death Rattle 43 Randomized Controlled Trial of Oral Docusate in Patients on Hospice 44 Equianalgesic Conversion From Intravenous Hydromorphone to Oral Opiods 45 Guideline-Driven Versus Single-Agent Antiemetic Therapy in Patients With dvanced Cancer 46 Safety of Morphine Delivered via Patient-Controlled Analgesia Devices in the Pediatric Population 47 Efficacy and Safety of Valproic Acid Versus Haloperidol in Patients With Acute Agitation: Results of a Randomized, Double-Blind, Parallel-Group Trial Somayeh Yunesian, Alireza Azadbakht, and Ladan Mirmohseni 48 Ketamine: A Toxic Adjunct in Pain Management for Cancer? 49 American (Wisconsin) Ginseng for Cancer-Related Fatigue 50 Management of Intractable Hiccups Index
About the Author :
Mary Lynn McPherson, PHARMD, MA, MDE, BCPS, CPE is the Professor and Executive Director of Advanced Post-Graduate Education in Palliative Care at the University of Maryland, Baltimore. She is a member of the Center to Advance Chronic Pain Research, and has years of experience in pain management and palliative care. Mellar P. Davis, MD, FCCP, FAAHPM, is the Section Head of the Palliative Care Department at Geisinger Medical System. In his role as Section Head, Dr. Davis is responsible for developing palliative care services throughout the Geisinger Medical System including outpatient and inpatient services. Alexandra L. McPherson, PHARMD, MPH, is a Palliative Care Pharmacy Specialist at MedStar Washington Hospital Center. She was a PGY2 Pain/Palliative Care Resident at University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, and is a graduate of the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy as well as Boston University's School of Public Health. Ryan Costantino, PharmD, MS, is the Director of a Data Innovation for the Enterprise Intelligence and Data Solutions Program Management Office within the Defense Healthcare Management Systems Program. He is a graduate of the PATIENTS Program in the Department of Pharmaceutical Health Services Research at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy. Dr. Costantino holds academic appointments as an affiliate Assistant Professor for the
University of Maryland School Of Pharmacy and as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Military and Emergency Medicine at the Uniformed Services University. Eduardo Bruera, MD, FAAHPM is chair of Palliative Care Medicine at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. He has led numerous research studies aimed at improving the quality of life for cancer patients. He developed and validated the Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale (ESAS) decades before patient-reported outcome measurements became fully accepted. Bruera has authored more than 1,075 papers in top peer-reviewed
journals and has delivered over 900 invited lectures to major cancer centers and supportive and palliative care congresses.
