Obstacles and opportunities for anaesthesiologists to improve the quality of palliative care
Ardi Pramono (a), Yunita Widyastuti (b), Sudadi (b), Yati Soenarto (c)
a) Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta, Indonesia
b) Department of Anaesthesiology and Reanimation, Faculty of Medicine, Gadjah Mada University, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
c) Department of Child Health, Faculty of Medicine, Head of Center for Bioethics and Medical Humanities, Universitas Gadjah Mada/Dr. Sardjito General Hospital, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
Abstract
In 2017 worldwide, it is estimated that nearly 9 million people die from cancer and will continue to increase to 13 million people per year by 2030. In Indonesia, the prevalence of cancer is also quite high. Patients with advanced disease, both cancer and non-cancer, generally experience high symptom prevalence and psychosocial pressure as well as low physical, psychosocial, and spiritual needs that require palliative care that is expected to improve the quality of life for patients and their families. Methods: Review article from Pubmed with keyword anesthetist, anesthesia, palliative care. Result and discussion: Anesthesiologists with substantial experience in interdisciplinary pain management can provide palliative drugs for cancer patients such as: 1) use of opioid analgesics; 2) consider the biopsychosocial pain model; 3) help patients live as actively as possible until they die, and 4) help families deal with patients illnesses and lose family members. It is important for anesthesiologists to assist patients at the end of the life stage, even in limited number of anesthetists. Conclusion: there is still a need for a palliative service model involving anesthesiologists because of some of their abilities, although the number of anesthesiologists is still limited.
Keywords: anesthesiologist, palliative care, anesthesia
Topic: International Symposium of Engineering, Technology, and Health Sciences