Background: We began conducting pain screenings using an in-house version of the “Ease of Living Questionnaire” for patients undergoing initial radiotherapy. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to classify patients undergoing radiotherapy for different medical purposes and to verify the differences in the responses between the groups identified. Methods: The “Ease of Living Questionnaire” was administered to all adult patients with cancer undergoing initial radiotherapy , and the responses were analyzed together with data concerning the patients’ background characteristics that were extracted from medical records. Results: A total of 543 responses to the questionnaire were collected, and the patients were divided into a palliative group (177), curative group (189), preoperative group (19), and postoperative group (158); statistical differences were observed with respect to patient gender, age, and target disease. Mental and physical distresses were more pronounced in the palliative group compared to the other three groups. Although psychosocial need was high with respect to the questionnaire items concerning symptoms and treatments/activities of daily living, the independent sensitivity values of the check fields were 0.29-0.65 and 0.08-0.38, respectively. Intergroup differences were observed with respect to symptoms and treatment/economic need as well as social security/occupational need. Conclusion: In order to gain an understanding of patient needs, we believe that it is necessary to take sufficient action in consideration of the content of free-response answers based on differences in background by treatment purpose.

This study aimed to clarify the resources required to relieve distress during palliative care delivery to cancer patients. Between April 2015 and March 2017, 1479 outpatients receiving chemotherapy for cancer were screened using the Japanese version of the Support Team Assessment Schedule (STAS-J). When the STAS-J result was 2 points and higher, the patient was considered positive for distress. A certified nurse or pharmacist performed STAS-J screening and, in cases where the patient exhibited distress, took steps to alleviate the problem themselves or consulted another resource. Distress was identified in 181 (12.2%) of the 1479 patients. These 181 patients needed 288 resources. The resources used to alleviate distress were categorized as follows: direct support by certified nurse or pharmacist (153), consultation with the attending physician (98) and other (37). The required resource included the following twelve professionals: attending physician, ophthalmologist, dermatologist, dentist, orthopedic surgeon, palliative care physician, certified nurse, certified pharmacist, medical social worker, clinical psychologist, volunteers for cancer patients, and palliative care team. The frequency of the intervention by the certified nurse or pharmacist (61, 39.9%) in directly alleviating psychiatric distress was significantly higher than by consultation with the attending physician (10, 10.2%) (p<0.0001). However, the frequency of consultation with the attending physician in alleviating physical distress (88, 89.8%) was significantly higher than that of the certified nurse or pharmacist (92, 60.1%) (p<0.0001). We conclude that the certified nurse or pharmacist is important for the delivery of palliative cancer care, because they can directly provide relief from psychiatric distress.

Objectives: Elucidate recognition of end-of-life care by nursing care staff in elderly care facilities, and factors influencing such recognition. Methods: We conducted an internet questionnaire with 500 nursing care staff working at elderly care facilities across Japan, and an interview with 10 nursing care staff out of 500. Results: In the questionnaire, facility policies (41%) and cooperation with medical staff (38%) were selected as facilities and systems that are important for end-of-life care, and as a concern, sudden change in the condition of the patient, leading to death (53%) was selected. The interview showed that nursing care staff had a certain level of anxiety regardless of their experience with end-of-life care, with participants discussing their thoughts on how systematic learning of, and actual experience in, end-of-life care changed end-of-life care. Conclusion: Our study showed that systematic learning and experience of end-of-life care were important factors in recognition of end-of-life care by nursing care staff when providing such care in elderly care facilities.

Rectal irritative symptoms in cancer patients are often refractory to treat and exacerbate their quality of life. We experienced a peadiatric case of rectal irritative symptoms treated by Yokukansan. A 9 year-old boy developed rectal irritative symptoms as itching sensation in rectum caused by relapsed rhabdomyosarcoma in pelvis. Oral Yokukansan, which is common Japanese Kampo medicine for temper tantrum of children, was administered and relieved his symptoms. Yokukansan is known as adjuvant drug for neuropathic pain. It could be one of the adjuvant drugs for refractory symptoms in palliative care setting.

We report that switching from high concentration morphine citrate to high concentration hydromorphone citrate was effective at reducing the frequency of subcutaneous induration due to subcutaneous infusion and relieving pain. A 66-year-old male was admitted to our palliative care unit with neck pain. He was suffering from neck lymph node metastasis from a carcinoma of unknown origin. We administered a subcutaneous infusion of high concentration morphine citrate (40 mg/ml); however, the infusion site had to be changed about every 3 days because subcutaneous induration occurred and pain-relieving effect of the drug was attenuated. After switching to high concentration hydromorphone citrate (10 mg/ml) diluted to 40%, we no longer needed to change the infusion site due to the drug’s osmolality and the fact that it was a weak irritant and its pH was normalized by its dilution with normal saline. It is worth switching from high concentration morphine citrate to high concentration hydromorphone citrate in terminally ill cancer patients who need subcutaneous infusions of high dose opioids.

Purpose: This review was performed to investigate the state of fatigue in patients with heart failure. Methods: A literature search of ICHUSHI, PubMed, PsycINFO, and CINAHL was conducted to identify articles published from database inception to March 2018. In total, one hundred and nineteen papers were included in the present review. Results: Two Japanese-language papers and one hundred and seventeen English-language papers were analyzed. None of the papers contained definitions of fatigue specific to patients with heart failure. The prevalence of fatigue was 50% to 94% according to a scale that measured not only fatigue but also quality of life. The reports indicated that severe heart failure, low exercise capacity, symptoms of depression, older age, and female sex are related to the severity of fatigue and that the severity of fatigue influences the prognosis. Conclusions: The results of our review revealed a lack of evidence for measurement of fatigue specific to patients with heart failure. Further studies are needed to establish a method by which to adequately evaluate fatigue in patients with heart failure.