S. Mercadante

Non-invasive ventilation (NIV) and high-flow nasal therapy (HFNT) in palliative care: a critical narrative review.

BACKGROUND Dyspnoea is a prevalent, debilitating symptom in advanced life-limiting illnesses. While opioids and non-pharmacological measures remain foundational, refractory breathlessness presents a major palliative challenge. OBJECTIVES To critically appraise the evidence regarding patient selection, comparative tol...

Cancer versus Non-Cancer Patients Admitted to Hospice: a comparison study.

CONTEXT Malignant disease remains the leading reason for hospice admission, and direct, patient-level comparisons of cancer and non-cancer patients within the same residential hospice are scarce. OBJECTIVES To compare sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, symptom burden, nutritional support, length of stay a...

Pulmonary infections in an acute palliative care unit

Perceived Quality of Care: A Comparison Between a Previous Non-Palliative Hospital Admission and Admission to an Acute Palliative Care Unit. A Mixed-Methods Observational Study.

BackgroundPatient satisfaction complements clinical outcomes, but few studies compare, within the same patient, a previous non-palliative admission with a subsequent admission to an acute palliative care unit (APCU).MethodsSingle-centre, observational, mixed-methods, within-subject study with prospective enrolment. All...