Pediatric Palliative Care Consultant: Guidelines for Effective Management of Symptoms

This book by Melissa Hunt, et al, is the "go to" book for the Pediatric Hospice and/or Palliative Care provider who needs a reference book for their daily patient encounters. I have used this book every day since acquiring it. There are a few resources available for practitioners such as I, but none of them cover the topics with such breadth and detail. It has been meticulously researched, and presented in a clear and highly organized approach. The content is essentially in two major sections, an Introduction to Palliative Care, followed by a more extensive section on symptom management. While it is not intended to be read in a cover to cover fashion, I would recommend doing so with the Introduction, as it has a wide scope of information that is presented succinctly and efficiently. I guarantee you will learn something new from doing so, even though the general topics might be very familiar to you. The second section on symptom management is, in a word, superb. Over 30 symptoms are presented, and each is organized into pathophysiology, clinical characteristics, assessment, non-pharmacological treatment, Pharmacotherapy and clinical pearls. The Pharmacotherapy sections are clearly written in table format, with concise and very detailed content.Other equally informative and helpful sections include: Disease State Management, Neonatal Management and Appendices with a potpourri of data too extensive to be listed here. As I mentioned, this book should be in the possession of everyone who is providing Pediatric Palliative Care or Hospice Care. Indeed, the concept of providing this type of specialty care is not limited to these providers, but really to anyone who is a provider of care to children with chronic, complex medical conditions. I am curtain that Pediatric Cardiologists, Pulmonologists and Neurologists, to name but a few, will find this book valuable to them.The writers deserve enormous credit for their tireless work and dedication in the development of this superb book. Do yourselves, and your patients, a favor and get a copy of this book at your earliest convenience!Kevin McRedmond M.D., Chief Medical Officer, Hands of Hope Pediatric Hospice and Palliative Care, South Carolina

Although the authors refer to their 373-page handbook as a quick reference guide for symptom management in the setting of pediatric palliative care, it is quite a bit more than that. The handbook acts as a resource to equip all practitioners, whether skilled in pediatric care or not, to provide basic pediatric palliative care. In this handbook there are included a review of pediatric palliative and hospice care, information about diseases with prognostic and trajectory information, helpful ways to enhance communication, barriers to provision of pediatric palliative care, and general pediatric and pediatric medical considerations. The section on symptom management includes causes, assessment, pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic treatment, clinical pearls, medication tables, and treatment algorithms. Several pain assessment scales are included. The information about special neonatal considerations, medication additives, measuring, palatability, look alike and sound alike drugs, lists of medications to not be chewed or crushed, and alternative forms of administration is rarely covered elsewhere. I particularly liked the sections on anticipatory guidance and the brief review of pediatric life-limiting diseases and conditions. For providers who rarely care for children, the sample pediatric intake form and information about general pediatric care will be helpful. For children with more complex symptoms, this handbook will supplement and support but not replace care by providers skilled in pediatric palliative care.

Excellent resource. Gives pertinent and concise information. Makes it easy to locate information quickly. I recommend this for any provider that treats medically complex children.