To the editor
We have read with great interest the article by Brożek et al1 published in Polish Archives of Internal Medicine (Pol Arch Intern Med) presenting the results of a survey among Polish pulmonologists on the end-of-life care for patients with advanced lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). We are also very interested in this procedure for patients with active hemoptysis.2-4 We do agree with the results but we would like to ask the authors 3 questions. The first one concerns the questionnaire. The authors described that they used the Likert scale (1 – never; 2 – seldom; 3 – occasionally; 4 – often; and 5 – always).1 As for the fifth option, what did the authors mean by “always”? Did it mean every day for hospitalized patients and every visit for outpatients? The second question regards consultation with the patient. Please elaborate on when the authors considered the best timing to talk about the end of life with patients. For example, is it the time of discharge for hospitalized patients? Is it the time of stable disease for outpatients? The third question concerns the administration of opioids. The main complaint in patients with COPD is breathlessness. We wonder whether additional use of opioids might cause falls and fractures in patients with COPD with reduced muscle strength and/or respiratory depression. We also evaluated psychotropic drugs for terminally ill patients with respiratory disease,4 and are also searching for the best treatment. Based on the results of this study, we would appreciate an answer from the authors.
Hiroaki Satoh, MD, Division of Respiratory Medicine, Mito Medical Center, University of Tsukuba, Miya-machi 3-2-7, Mito-city, Ibaraki, 310–0015, Japan, phone: +81 29 231 2371, email: hirosato0809@yahoo.co.jp
Shinichiro Okauchi, Yuika Sasatani, Hiroaki Satoh (Division of Respiratory Medicine, Mito Medical Center, University of Tsukuba, Mito-city, Japan)
None declared.
Okauchi S, Sasatani Y, Satoh H. End-of-life care for patients with advanced lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Pol Arch Intern Med. 2019; 129: 436. doi:10.20452/pamw.14885
- 1.
- Brożek B, Damps-Konstańska I, Pierzchała W, et al. End-of-life care for patients with advanced lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: survey among Polish pulmonologists. Pol Arch Intern Med. 2019; 129: 242-252.
- 2.
- Akazawa Y, Satoh H, Takiguchi K, et al. Nursing discharge summaries of deceased patients with respiratory diseases. Int J Nurs Pract. 2002; 8: 282-285.
- 3.
- Sumi M, Satoh H, Ishikawa H, et al. Dying with respiratory disease. Chest. 2001; 120: 1043-1044.
- 4.
- Kanemoto K, Satoh H, Kagohashi K, et al. Psychotropic drugs for terminally ill patients with respiratory disease. Tuberk Toraks. 2007; 55: 5-10.