Palliative Care Assessment Scales

Flashcards covering key terms and concepts related to palliative care assessment and interventions.

Karnofsky Performance Status (KPS)

A scale used to measure the functional status of patients in terms of their ability to perform daily activities.

Palliative Performance Scale (PPS)

A scale that assesses a patient’s functional status based on multiple criteria including ambulation and level of consciousness.

Supportive and Palliative Care Indicators Tool (SPICT)

A tool developed to identify individuals at risk for deterioration and requiring palliative care support.

NECPAL

An instrument for identifying individuals in advanced or terminal illness in need of palliative care.

Golden Standards Framework (GSF)

A structured framework for identifying and managing patients with advanced illnesses.

ECOG

Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group scale that measures the performance status of cancer patients.

Eutanasia

The intentional act of ending a person's life to relieve suffering.

Distanasia

Prolongation of life through artificial means leading to unnecessary suffering.

Mistanasia

Social euthanasia, where societal factors prevent the patient from dying naturally.

Ortotanasia

Natural death that ensures comfort.

Kalotanasia

Ideal death without suffering.

Pain Assessment Tools

Various tools used to evaluate pain levels and types, including numeric rating scales and specific pain scales for special populations.

Behavioural Pain Scale (BPS)

A scale for assessing pain in patients who are unable to communicate verbally.

Declaration of Advance Health Care Plans (POLST)

A medical order indicating a patient's wishes regarding treatment options in the event of a medical emergency.

Analgesic Ladder

A stepwise approach for pain management where treatment escalates from non-opioids to strong opioids.

Pain Total

The overall assessment of pain influenced by physical, psychological, social, and spiritual factors.

Assessment of Neuropathic Pain (DN4)

A questionnaire used to diagnose neuropathic pain based on specific characteristics and symptoms.

Palliative Prognostic Index (PPI)

A tool used to predict survival in patients with advanced diseases.

Opioid Therapy

Treatment involving opioid analgesics for managing moderate to severe pain.

Adjuvant Analgesics

Medications that are not primarily designed to control pain but have pain-relieving properties in certain conditions.