Vomiting is a protective reflex that results in forceful ejection of stomach contents up to and out of the mouth. It is a common complaint and may be the presenting symptom of several life-threatening conditions. It can be caused by a variety of organic and nonorganic disorders; gastrointestinal (GI) or outside of GI. Acute gastritis [...]
Dysphagia is the medical term for difficulty swallowing. Thickened liquids are often used in the management of dysphagia to improve bolus control and to help prevent aspiration. A range of starches and gums has historically been used to thicken liquids. Although thickened liquids improve swallow safety, they appear to have a great potential for unintended [...]
Roman Catholics have a long tradition of evaluating medical treatment at the end of life to determine if proposed interventions are proportionate and morally obligatory or isproportionate and morally optional. There has been significant debate within the Catholic community about whether artificially delivered nutrition and hydration can be appreciated as a medical intervention that may [...]
PURPOSE OF REVIEW: To review the advances in the assessment, treatment, and evaluation of care for pediatric dehydration. RECENT FINDINGS: Recent studies have added new information across the spectrum of care for dehydration. Advances in the assessment of dehydration allow more accurate clinical evaluation, but do not help predict the treatment outcomes. Antiemetics as an [...]
Background: Early identification and treatment of dehydration is prudent in patients requiring home parenteral nutrition (HPN) or home intravenous fluids (HIVF) to prevent hospital admissions for dehydration. Our home nutrition support service (HNS) developed a protocol in 2010 to provide additional bags of HIVF to be kept on hand for immediate use in patients identified [...]
By reviewing the literature on the subject, this article examines whether continuous deep sedation without hydration--in the context of palliative care for patients with advanced cancer at the end of life--could be seen as a moral and clinical equivalent of so-called "slow euthanasia". It focuses on length of survival, fluid retention and thirst, and reviews [...]
Hydration and nutrition are essential for the maintenance of life. In patients at the end of life, artificial hydration and nutrition pose clinical, ethical, and logistical dilemmas. No strong evidence exists supporting the use of parenteral hydration/nutrition for the majority of terminally ill patients; however, a subset of patients may derive some benefit. Uncertainty about [...]
Ensuring that the nutrition and hydration needs of patients in hospital are met is part of the nurse's role. Adequate nutrition and hydration is vital for good health, from both a physical and psychological perspective, and should be considered a priority by nurses. Actions required by nurses may include addressing potential barriers and obstacles that [...]
BackgroundnnLow concentrations of albumin in serum and long gastric emptying times have been returned to normal in dogs by salt and water restriction, or a high protein intake. We aimed to determine the effect of salt and water balance on recovery of gastrointestinal function after elective colonic resection in human beings.nMethodsnnWe randomly allocated ten patients [...]
BACKGROUND: Current peri-operative fluid and electrolyte management in the UK may be suboptimal. We assessed the attitudes of consultant surgeons to fluid and electrolyte prescribing and gathered suggestions for improvement in education on the subject. METHODS: A postal questionnaire survey was sent to 1091 Fellows of the Association of Surgeons of Great Britain and Ireland. [...]