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Opioids remain the cornerstone of symptom relief in hospice and palliative care, especially for pain and dyspnea. However, navigating reported "allergies" to opioids—particularly morphine and codeine—can pose significant challenges. In an already complex clinical landscape, these allergy labels can lead to under-treatment of distressing symptoms, unnecessary
As palliative care continues to evolve with an emphasis on quality of life, comfort, and symptom control, the incorporation of precision medicine tools like pharmacogenomics (PGx) offers promising benefits. Pharmacogenomics, the study of how a patient’s genetic makeup influences their response to medications, can serve as a powerful ally
In palliative medicine, attention to genitourinary symptoms is often overshadowed by more pressing issues such as pain, dyspnea, or existential distress. Yet lower urinary tract dysfunction—particularly the confusing coexistence of overactive bladder (OAB) symptoms and urinary retention—is both common and under-recognized, especially in older adults with complex comorbidities.
March is Kidney Awareness Month, a time often focused on prevention, early detection, and life-sustaining treatments like dialysis. These conversations are important—and incomplete. Missing too often is space for an equally valid, deeply human decision: the decision to stop dialysis. For many people living with advanced kidney disease, dialysis