REVIEWS   

Minerva Cardioangiologica 2016 February;64(1):92-6

Copyright © 2016 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

Current trends in palliative heart care

Rongyun SHI ✉

Xuzhou Geriatric Hospital, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China

Palliative care is an alternate therapeutic approach that involves specialised medical care of a patient diagnosed with serious life threatening illness like heart failure (HF). The prime aim of the palliative care is to provide patient with relief from the symptoms, pain, physical stress, and mental stress of the diagnosed disease. The palliative care helps in improving the quality of life for both the patient and the family. Advanced HF is a disease process that carries a high burden of symptoms, suffering, and death. Palliative care can complement traditional care to improve symptom amelioration, patient-caregiver communication, emotional support, and medical decision making. The present review summarized all the available on alternative palliative approaches provided to heart patient by a team of physicians, nurses and other healthcare professionals.