Abstract

PEREZ DE LLANO, Luis Alejandro. Palliative care for patients with chronic respiratory failure. Gac Sanit [online]. 2018, vol.32, n.4, pp.383-385.  Epub Dec 07, 2020. ISSN 0213-9111.  https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.gaceta.2018.04.006.

The increasing prevalence of chronic respiratory diseases and the longer survival of patients with these disorders have lead to a rise in the number of individuals in a terminal condition with no chances of responding to additional medication. Nevertheless, this epidemiological fact has not been accompanied by a parallel development of palliative care programmes, and this prevents the patients from receiving optimal medical care to ensure their well-being and to avoid further unnecessary admissions to hospital. Our local experience in the Lucus Augusti University Hospital reveals that 7% of the admissions to the respiratory ward correspond to patients with advanced and non-neoplastic chronic respiratory disorders. Only 65% of these patients benefit from a well-structured palliative care plan and practically all of them die in the hospital. Altogether, these data highlight the need for a strategy that involves not only pneumologists but also general practitioners, nurses and palliative care physicians.

Keywords : COPD; Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis; Palliative care.

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