Paediatric Palliative Care

by Hain, Richard D. W.; Jassal, Satbir Singh

• ISBN13: 9780199236329
• ISBN10: 0199236321
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2010-06-25
• Publisher: Oxford University Press

Summary

Looking after children with life-limiting conditions can be very difficult for both the parents as well as the health care professionals who may only see a few cases in their career. Paediatric Palliative Care is full of easily-accessible, detailed information on medical conditions and symptoms and includes specific management plans. While the book encompasses symptom control, it also considers the philosophy and models that support delivery of palliative medicine to children, while also covering practical delivery of palliative medicine, relating to other professionals and to families, and the learning and coping skills required in palliative care. It also contains a quick-reference drug formulary. While specialization in paediatric palliative medicine is increasing, for most children with a life-limiting condition, the makority of their care is still provided by professionals without specialist training and care may come from a general paediatric or other sub-specialist team. Others will be cared for by primary care teams, or sometimes by adult palliiative medicine teams. The unique significance of this handbook is its capacity to facilitate practical bedside delivery of effective palliative medicine to children by professionals who have not trained or had experience of caring for the dying child.

Author Biography

Richard Hain is based in the Department of Child Health and sees patients at home, on the ward, in outpatients, at school and at Ty Hafan children's hospice. He supports a team of paediatric oncology outreach nurses in the care of children with cancer, and works with a wide range of professionals in the care of children with non-malignant life limiting conditions. he has published a number of research and review articles on various aspects of palliative care in children. His research interests are in the epidemiology of paediatric palliative care, and symptom control, particularly opioid pharmacology. He is heavily involved with undergraduate medical teaching of ethics and professionalism, and in postgraduate teaching of pharmacology and palliative care, and is Chair of the UK Specialist Advisory Committee in Paediatric Palliative Medicine that oversees training of doctors in PPM, and of the Cardiff and Vale Trust Ethics Committee.
Satbir Jassal has been a full time General Practitioner for 19 years. He has written and edited the Rainbows Symptom Control Manual and co-authored Paediatric Palliative Care Guidelines for Surrey, Sussex and Hampshire Cancer Network. He is editor of Paed Pall Lit, an international abstract journal on paediatric palliative care. He is a lecturer for the Cardiff University diploma in Paediatrics Palliative Medicine and is a Trustee on the board for ACT and a non-executive member of the board at Rainbows Children's Hospice. His main interests are in education and in improving the standards of care in children's hospices, hospitals and the wider community.