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Purpose of review The aim of this review is to critically appraise the existing evidence on ‘early palliative care’ (EPC), discuss its relationship with advance care planning, and to reflect on the impact of EPC on the quality of care provided during the last days of life. Recent findings There are indicators that EPC may help to avoid aggressive treatment, shorten hospital stay, improve overall quality of life, and to see more frequently dying and death at the preferred place of care. Summary The evidence from randomized controlled trials supports the integration of palliative care early in the disease trajectory. However, in terms of outcomes and quality indicators for care in the last days of life, evidence is still lacking. Predominantly, when it comes to the outcomes which may be more difficult to assess, such as spiritual aspects, or the social network, for which more comprehensive information is needed. These outcomes should not be neglected in palliative care studies, particularly when they can provide meaningful information about patient and family adjustment, and focus on psychosocial aspects rather than physical symptom control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To analyze patient outcomes and processes of insertion after the introduction of the peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) in the University Medical Center Utrecht (UMC Utrecht) in the Netherlands. Patients and method: A prospective analysis of PICC inserted in the UMC Utrecht looking at patient characteristics, dwell time and infections. Results: A total number of 510 PICCs in 439 patients with 17655 catheter days were analyzed using ultrasound (US) and modified Seldinger technique (MST). Overall there were 2.35 catheter-related bloodstream infections (CRBSI) per 100 devices and 0.68 infections per 1000 catheter days. When used specifically for home infusion, the CRBSI rates were 1.09 per 100 devices and 0.23 per 1000 catheter days. One advanced nurse practitioner (ANP) inserted all PICCs. Although a full sterile barrier (no hat and gown) was not used during insertion, the infection rate in our study was lower compared to the 1.1 infection per 1000 catheter days reported in a meta-analyses on CRBSI (Maki, Kluger, & Crnich, 2006). Conclusion: Through the use of modern techniques like US and MST and upper arm insertion of PICCs, the complication rate is lower compared to older techniques as shown in most prospective studies. Extended dwell time, as a positive outcome of using PICCs made more doctors decide to choose a PICC. Age of the patient did not influence dwell time or complications. Further research, preferably a randomized controlled trial, is needed to compare the subclavian catheter with the PICC as well as exploration of the effects of anticipatory choice for PICCs, specifically in immune compromised patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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