To determine which symptoms, signs, and characteristics that define the patient's functional status predict the survival time in terminally ill cancer patients, a prospective longitudinal study was conducted with terminally ill cancer patients followed by a Home Care Support Team. Patients were followed up with at least weekly visits until death, collecting variables at each visit. A Cox multivariate regression analysis took into account all the follow-ups in the same patient. Ninety-eight patients were studied, and 250 evaluations were done. The mean age was 72 years. The median survival was 32 days. In the multivariate analysis, three independent variables were identified: Palliative Performance Score of 50 or under, heart rate of 100/minute or more, and respiratory rate of 24/minute or more. The variables that were found to be prognostic in our study are objective, easy, and quick to measure, and do not require that the professional have special training or experience. The prediction of survival time may be improved by considering these variables.

ResumenObjetivo: Describir factores asociados a la presencia de Duelo Prolongado (DP) medido con el cuestionario Prolonged Grief Disorder-13 (PG-13) en pacientes que han perdido a un ser querido entre 6 y 18 meses.Método: Estudio transversal. Dolientes mayores de edad procedentes de atención primaria, hospitales de cuidados paliativos y un equipo de soporte a la atención domiciliaria paliativa en Madrid. Se recogieron variables del fallecido y del doliente: sociodemográficas, socioeconómicas, antecedentes psiquiátricos, utilización de recursos sanitarios, Trastorno por Ansiedad Generalizada (TAG), Trastorno Depresivo Mayor (TDM), apoyo social, percibido y duelo prolongado con PG-13 y el Inventario Texas Revisado de Duelo (ITRD). Se calcularon medidas de tendencia central y distribución de frecuencias, se calculo asociación entre variables con c 2 y t-student, se ajustó modelo multivariante. AbstractObjective: To describe associated factors with the presence of Prolonged Grief Disorder (PGD) diagnosed by the Prolonged Grief Disorder-13 (PG-13) questionnaire between 6 and 18 months after the loss of a loved one.Method: Cross-sectional study. Adults chosen from a sample coming from primarycare services, hospices, and a home care team, all of them in Madrid.Variables from the deceased and the bereaved were collected: demographic, socioeconomic, psychiatric records, medical visits, Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), social perceived support and PGD diagnosed by PG-13 and Texas Revised Inventory of Grief (TRIG). Multivariate linear regression analysis was used to identify factors associated with PGD.Results: Prevalence of PGD was 7.023%. PGD was associated with female gender, Proyecto financiado con Fondos de Investigación en Salud del ISCIII (PI12/00952) "Validación y adaptación trascultural del cuestionario Prolonged Grief

No abstract

The course and the introduction of a checklist helped professionals who were not experts in bioethics to detect ethical problems in treating terminally ill patients.

Background: Multiple myeloma (MM) is a frequent hematologic malignancy. Despite the important advances in treatment strategies during the last decades, the gold standard remains being a proteasome inhibitor (PI)-based induction, followed by autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT). In Latin America (LA) there is great heterogeneity in access to new drugs and ASCT, and there is scarce data regarding patient´s outcomes in the region. Aims: The aim of this study was to describe clinical characteristics and outcomes of MM transplant eligible patients in LA countries. Methods: Retrospective international multicenter cohort study. Unselected consecutive MM transplant-eligible patients diagnosed between 2010 and 2018 from participating centers in Chile, Argentina and Uruguay were included. Data was collected from clinical records in a standardized report form. We analyzed clinical characteristics at diagnosis and frontline therapy outcomes, including ASCT. Transplant-eligible patients were defi ned as fi t patients younger than 66 years old. Response to treatment was defi ned according to current IMWG criteria. Statistical analysis was performed by using STATA 13.