Knowledge of palliative care among residents of a university hospital

Conceição, Marcos Vinícius da; Vasconcelos, Maiane Cássia de Castro; Telino, Caio José Coutinho Leal; Guedes, Erik Vinícius Barros; Pimentel, Deborah Mônica Machado

doi:10.1590/1983-80422019271296

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RESEARCH • Rev. Bioét. 27 (1) • Jan-Mar 2019 • https://doi.org/10.1590/1983-80422019271296 copy

Knowledge of palliative care among residents of a university hospital

Authorship SCIMAGO INSTITUTIONS RANKINGS

Abstract

Although palliative care can be applied in different situations besides neoplasias, it does not always find technical and scientific support from physicians. Thus, the objective was to evaluate the knowledge regarding palliative care among these professionals. Through an exploratory, descriptive, transversal and quantitative approach, the objective was to evaluate the knowledge about palliative care among physicians residing at the Federal University of Sergipe Hospital. For this, a questionnaire was created based on instruments from literature. The sample profile consisted predominantly of women (67%), professionals up to 29 years (59%), and up to four years since graduation (60%). Most physicians (78%) stated that they had not received enough information about palliative care during graduation. After analyzing all the questions, only 7% of the sample presented an excellent evaluation (accuracy in more than 80% of the questions).

Palliative care; Knowledge; Education, medical; Self-assessment

	Yes		No
	n	%	n	%
1. I received enough information about terminally ill patients during my under-graduation	21	22	75	78
2. I am familiar with the WHO definition of palliative care	45	47	51	53
3. I have received enough information for the management of patients in pain	34	35	62	65
4. I have received enough information about the control of the most common symptoms in patients under palliative care	43	45	53	55
5. I have learned communication techniques and the medical posture in delivering “bad news”	70	73	26	27

	CA*	n	%
Philosophy
1. Palliative care should only be provided to patients for whom there is no curative treatment	F	77	80
2. Palliative care should not be provided in conjunction with cancer treatments.	F	90	94
Pain
3. When opioids are taken regularly, steroid anti-inflammatories should not be used	F	80	83
4. The long-term use of opioids can often induce addiction	F	12	12,5
5. The use of opioids does not influence survival time	V	53	55
6. Opioids are the drugs of first choice in the management of patients in pain	F	89	93
7. Some antidepressant and anticonvulsant medications help relieve cancer pain	V	93	97
8. The use of laxatives is effective in preventing opioid-induced constipation	V	61	63,5
9. Increased dosage of opioids should be limited because respiratory depression may occur as a side effect	F	33	34
Dyspnea
10. Morphine should be used to relieve dyspnea in cancer patients.	V	52	54
11. The levels of oxygen saturation are correlated to dyspnea	F	52	54
12. Anticholinergic drugs or scopolamine hydrobromide are effective for the relief of bronchial secretions	V	58	60
13. If the ambient temperature is kept higher (warm), patients with dyspnea often experience relief	F	23	24
Psychiatric problems
14. Benzodiazepines should be effective for delirium	F	57	59,5
15. Some terminally ill patients will require continuous sedation to relieve the suffering	V	89	93
16. Morphine is often the cause of delirium in terminally ill patients or in cancer patients	F	37	38,5
17. Delirium often occurs in patients who are prone to mental symptoms	F	46	48
Gastrointestinal problems
18. At the terminal stages of cancer, higher caloric intake is required compared to the initial stages	F	33	34
19. Steroids should improve appetite among advanced cancer patients	V	32	33
20. Intravenous infusion will not be effective in relieving dry mouth in terminal patients	V	46	48
Communication
21. The ability to communicate can be learned	V	95	99
22. Information that patients and families request and the degree to which patients and families participate in decision-making may change according to the course of the disease and condition	V	87	91
23. Uncertain information should not be given to the patient or family as it may cause additional anxiety	F	29	30

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[1] Correspondência. Marcos Vinícius da Conceição – Rua Via Férrea, 260, Condomínio Alamedas dos Pássaros, bloco 8, apt. 209, Inácio Barbosa CEP 49040-690. Aracaju/SE, Brasil.