Signs, Symptoms, and Characteristics Associated With End of Life in People With a Hematologic Malignancy: A Review of the Literature
Description
Problem Identification: Identifying people with hematologic cancer who are at risk of deteriorating and dying is essential to enable open, honest discussions, leading to appropriate decision making and effective end-of-life care.
Literature Search: PubMed, CINAHL®, PsycINFO, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were searched from January 2005 to December 2015 for descriptive observational studies.
Data Evaluation: Critique of the studies was guided by the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme Cohort Study Checklist.
Synthesis: Twelve studies were included. The majority of studies (n = 8) sampled patients from palliative populations, and most were retrospective (n = 11). A number of signs, symptoms, and characteristics associated with end of life in people with a hematolgic malignancy were identified, including pain, hematopoietic dysfunction, dyspnea, and reduced oral intake.