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Regular assessment of a patient’s symptoms and care needs is important. This should include evaluating the current symptoms, symptom history, previous treatments and their effectiveness and patient’s function.
There are a number of common symptoms that can be experienced by patients living with life-limiting illness. These will be explored further in this section. Active management of these symptoms and care needs can reduce the distress and burden experienced by patients, families and carers.
Anxiety CareSearch This webpage describes the clinical evidence supporting patient symptom management for anxiety in palliative care.
Depression CareSearch This webpage describes the clinical evidence supporting patient symptom management for depression in palliative care.
Constipation CareSearch This webpage describes the clinical evidence supporting patient symptom management for constipation in palliative care.
Bowel care and intestinal obstruction in end of life care The Palliative Care Bridge This interview with Dr Bridget Johnson provides an overview of the causes and management of constipation and bowel obstruction and the importance of differentiating between the two.
This webpage describes the clinical evidence supporting patient symptom management for breathing difficulties in palliative care.
This video presentation by Dr Anthoulla Mohamudally provides an overview of respiratory symptoms in the palliative setting, focussing on the management of dyspnoea and respiratory secretions.
This video with Dr Caitlin Sheehan provides a discussion of respiratory symptoms at the end of life.
Fatigue CareSearch This webpage describes the clinical evidence supporting patient symptom management for fatigue in palliative care.
Managing fatigue The Palliative Care Bridge This video discussion with Karen Winchester and Roslyn Savage provides an overview of the impact of fatigue and management for everyday activities and quality of life.
Nausea CareSearch This webpage describes the clinical evidence supporting patient symptom management for nausea in palliative care.
Managing nausea and vomiting The Palliative Care Bridge This video interview with Dr Bridget Johnson provides a discussion around the significant impact that nausea and vomiting can have on patient quality of life.
Principles of pain management in palliative care include:
Pain CareSearch This webpage describes the clinical evidence supporting patient symptom management for pain in palliative care.
Cancer guidelines wiki: Cancer pain management in adults Cancer Council Australia This guideline provides brief point-of-care recommendations for screening, assessment and management of cancer-related pain in adults. It focuses on chronic pain rather than acute pain caused by cancer treatments or pain in cancer survivors (which is best addressed by referral to a specialist pain medicine physician. The guideline makes recommendations about both pharmacological and non-pharmacological management as well as patient awareness and self-management.
Pain management in palliative care The Palliative Care Bridge This is a downloadable resource providing practical information for pain management in palliative care.
Difficulty sleeping CareSearch This webpage describes the clinical evidence supporting patient symptom management for difficulty sleeping in palliative care.
Page updated 29 March 2018