DOCSLIB.ORG

A Cost and Quality Analysis of Utilizing a Rectal Catheter for Medication Administration in End-Of- Life Symptom Management

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
A Cost and Quality Analysis of Utilizing a Rectal Catheter for Medication Administration in End-Of- Life Symptom Management Journal of Pain & Palliative Care Pharmacotherapy ISSN: 1536-0288 (Print) 1536-0539 (Online) Journal homepage: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/ippc20 A Cost and Quality Analysis of Utilizing a Rectal Catheter for Medication Administration in End-of- Life Symptom Management Natalie M. Latuga, Mary Gordon, Paula Farwell & Megan O. Farrell To cite this article: Natalie M. Latuga, Mary Gordon, Paula Farwell & Megan O. Farrell (2018): A Cost and Quality Analysis of Utilizing a Rectal Catheter for Medication Administration in End-of-Life Symptom Management, Journal of Pain & Palliative Care Pharmacotherapy, DOI: 10.1080/15360288.2018.1500509 To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.1080/15360288.2018.1500509 © 2018 Natalie M. Latuga, Mary Gordon, Paula Farwell, and Megan O. Farrell Published online: 31 Dec 2018. Submit your article to this journal Article views: 41 View Crossmark data Full Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at http://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?journalCode=ippc20 JOURNAL OF PAIN & PALLIATIVE CARE PHARMACOTHERAPY https://doi.org/10.1080/15360288.2018.1500509 ARTICLE A Cost and Quality Analysis of Utilizing a Rectal Catheter for Medication Administration in End-of-Life Symptom Management Natalie M. Latuga, Mary Gordon, Paula Farwell and Megan O. Farrell ABSTRACT ARTICLE HISTORY Technology that can improve the ability to provide quick symptom control while decreasing Received 14 December 2017 the cost and burden of care could help hospice agencies deal with current hospice industry Revised 8 June 2018 challenges. This paper describes how the use of a new rectal medication delivery technol- Accepted 9 July 2018 ogy at a large hospice in western New York has improved patient care and nursing effi- KEYWORDS ciency while at the same time decreasing the cost of care. Cost savings; end of life; hospice; Macy catheter; palliative care; symptom management Introduction care needs and visit intensity during those last The ability to provide excellent end-of-life care in days of life. Lastly, the increased requirements for a cost-effective manner is the goal of every hos- quality metrics and the rapidly changing regula- pice agency. Unfortunately, the business of hos- tory landscape have put a large burden on hospi- pice is becoming more challenging each year. ces, which have had to add quality oversight staff Hospices are questioning their long-term survival to keep up with regulatory burdens. with the continued decreases in reimbursement Symptom management can be costly to agen- and increased costs of care. The phaseout of the cies in clinician time and medication and other budget neutrality factor, sequestration, and the pharmacy-related costs. Although patients with productivity adjustments by Medicare continue to difficult symptom management represent a decrease hospice reimbursement and are slated to minority of hospice cases in our experience, they continue through 2022 (1). can be very costly, raising the overall direct cost In addition to decreased revenue, operational of care. Oral and sublingual routes of medication costs continue to rise. According to the most delivery facilitate effective symptom control in recent March 2018 MedPAC (Medicare Payment most hospice patients, but there is still a signifi- Advisory Commission) report, (2) the 2015 aver- cant subset of patients for whom these routes age hospice cost of care was $150 per day, an either are not functional or fail to control symp- “ ” increase of 0.5% from 2014. MedPAC reports an toms. Chasing symptoms with sublingual medi- increased profit margin between 2014 and 2015 cation by raising the dosage can lead to from 8.2% to 10% for all combined hospices but aspiration, stressed caregivers, patient suffering, predicts the 2018 margins to be about 8.7%. and nonpeaceful deaths that lead to poor-quality MedPAC reports that the median length of hos- outcomes and increase the cost of care. The sub- pice stay was 18 days for 2016, with more than lingual route of delivery is in most cases not an 25% of patients enrolling within the last week of effective route for patients with severe agitation, life, while acknowledging an increase in patient pain, seizures, nausea and vomiting, and other severe symptoms. These patients usually need an Natalie M. Latuga, PharmD, BCPS, Mary Gordon, RN, Paula Farwell, RN, and Megan O. Farrell, BSN, MHA, CHPN are with The Center for Hospice and Palliative Care, Cheektowaga, New York, USA. CONTACT Natalie M. Latuga [email protected] The Center for Hospice and Palliative Care, 225 Como Park Boulevard, Cheektowaga, NY 14227, USA. ß 2018 Natalie M. Latuga, Mary Gordon, Paula Farwell, and Megan O. Farrell This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. 2 N. M. LATUGA ET AL. alternative route, which traditionally has been piloted in the last quarter of 2015 in the 22-bed limited to intravenous (IV), subcutaneous (SQ), HIU, followed by a rollout to the home care or rectal suppository. All these options mandate teams in the first quarter of 2016. Pharmacy costs ordering, preparing, and delivering new forms of continued to rise through 2016, particularly par- medication with additional cost and lag time to enteral medication costs in the HIU, despite the therapy implementation. Faced with these chal- introduction of the catheter as a possible option lenges, in 2015, Hospice Buffalo began using a for symptom management. specialized rectal administration catheter that solved these problems by enabling the use of oral Methods medications that were already on hand at the bedside. In February 2017, Hospice Buffalo initiated a set This rectal administration catheter (Macy cath- of guidelines to curb pharmacy expenses by fur- eter; Hospi Corporation, Eureka, CA) is Food ther encouraging and directing the use of the rec- and Drug Administration (FDA)-cleared to pro- tal catheter in both home care and the HIU. The vide rectal access to deliver medications and flu- guidelines included instructing clinicians to try ids. The catheter comes in a kit that has a pill the rectal administration catheter as the first-line pulverizing system included. Use of the catheter alternative when a patient was unable to swallow and pulverizing system enables medications to be and sublingual was ineffective. The agency con- easily pulverized, suspended in a small amount of tinued to ask patient families to bring the water, and given rectally. The catheter consists of patient’s oral medications to the HIU to reduce a 14-Fr tube with a soft balloon on one end and waste and costs, as had been done all along. a valved medication port and balloon inflation A more detailed post hoc analysis of cost and port on the other. It facilitates ongoing adminis- clinical outcomes was conducted following the tration of medication or fluids for up to 28 days guideline implementation when pharmacy invoi- and can be reinserted during this time period if ces were noted to be significantly lower. Actual expelled with (or removed for) a bowel move- cost savings and modeled cost savings were cal- ment. The end of the catheter rests on the leg, culated from the monthly pharmacy billing invoi- allowing access to deliver medication or fluid ces and census data. The clinicians (physicians, without having to expose or move the patient. nurse practitioners, and registered nurses) were Medications in solid form are ground with the informally surveyed regarding the catheter’s pill pulverizer, a small amount of water is added, effectiveness, benefits, and challenges. and the resulting microenema suspension is injected into the distal one third of the rectum. Results Hospice Buffalo provides hospice care in both private homes and long-term care facilities and In 2016, Hospice Buffalo utilized 160 catheters in provides inpatient care in a 22-bed hospice the HIU (approximately 25% of patients) and 139 inpatient unit (HIU) in Erie County, New York. catheters in home care (approximately 9% of In 2016, the agency cared for approximately 4134 patients). This did not include the routine home hospice beneficiaries, including 1609 home care hospice patients in skilled nursing facilities, as patients, 1062 long-term care/assisted-living the agency had not yet trained facilities in use of patients, 815 hospital patients, and 648 the catheter. The direct supply cost of the cath- HIU patients. eter in 2016 was $0.15 per patient day ($25,415 Hospice Buffalo decided to implement use of in total cost for the catheters divided by 168,054 the catheter as an additional symptom manage- total days of care). ment tool with the goal of improving patient care and having an additional option to administer HIU costs medications when the patient could not swallow, while hoping to simultaneously decrease the bur- The first month the guidelines were in effect, den and cost of care. Use of the catheter was first medication costs in the HIU dropped $12.76 per JOURNAL OF PAIN & PALLIATIVE CARE PHARMACOTHERAPY 3 $50.00 $45.80 $40.00 )srallod(DPPtsoC Pre-change average = $35.52 $38.81 $36.24 $33.83 $15.85 (45%) decrease in PPD $30.00 $32.52 $31.46 $32.11 $30.04 Post-change average= $19.67 $23.92 $20.00 $19.35 $18.25 $17.15 $10.00 May-16 Jun-16 Aug-16 Oct-16 Nov-16 Jan-17 Mar-17 Apr-17 Jun-17 Monthly PBM Medication Cost PPD Average Cost PPD Pre-change Average Cost PPD Post-change PPD= per patient day; PBM = pharmacy benefits manager Figure 1. Hospice inpatient unit (HIU) medication PPD cost, June 2016 to May 2017. $2.40 cost in PPD and the average cost before and after $2.20 guideline changes throughout the time period in $2.00 $1.85 $1.75 the HIU.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Rectal Administration of Aid-In-Dying Medications
    Rectal Administration of Aid-in-Dying Medications (NOTE: This is a medical procedure and requires a trained clinician who can evaluate the patient for this procedure, do a rectal exam to be sure that the procedure can be safely accomplished, and be responsible for potential complications. We do not recommend that this be done by families alone without significant direct clinician participation.) by Thalia DeWolf, RN, CHPN For questions and/or information, email [email protected] An Essential Warning: Aid-in-dying medications are a thick suspension of powders. They can clog a Macy Catheter. So while Macy Catheters are indeed wonderful and useful devices for end-of- life care, they should not be used for medical aid in dying. See below for proper materials. Pre-care: An intact, empty, warm, moist, well-perfused rectum assures thorough absorption of rectally administered aid-in-dying medications. Be sure your patient has good bowel care in the 72 hours before aid in dying. A daily soft BM is recommended. The best practice is to do an enema the day before or the morning of aid in dying. Within 24 hours of the procedure (or at the time of the procedure) a digital rectal exam must be performed by an experienced clinician (RN or physician) The clinician must ascertain that the lumen is patent and will accept the catheter; that the rectal vault is not filled with stool (small amounts of stool will not interfere with absorption of medications, large amounts, especially of thick, pasty stool, are likely to bind the medications and prevent absorption; that tumor has not invaded the rectum; that the rectum is warm and well-perfused).
    [Show full text]
  • Promoting Excellence in Symptom Management Case Series Case Study: a New Intervention for Rapid End-Of-Life Symptom Control in the Home Setting
    Symptom Management Series Promoting Excellence in Symptom Management Case Series Case Study: A New Intervention for Rapid End-of-Life Symptom Control in the Home Setting Kathryn Paez, BSN, RN, CHPN ƒ Meegan Gregg, NP, CHPN ƒ Charlea T. Massion, MD ƒ Brad Macy, BSN, BA, RN, CHPN The oral route is compromised for nearly all patients at can be used to ensure rapid symptom management and the end of life (EOL). This article reviews the benefits decreased burden of care by facilitating immediate and and burdens of the usual alternative routes of medication easy use of medications already present in the home. delivery when the oral route fails and presents a case study on the use of a new innovation for the rectal delivery of medication to control EOL symptoms. A 62-year-old KEY WORDS male hospice patient with end-stage metastatic prostate Macy Catheter, rectal medication, sublingual cancer presented with severe symptoms (Face, Legs, medications, suppository, symptom management Activity, Cry and Consolability scale score, 9/10) that were uncontrollable with medications given via oral or lmost every hospice patient loses the ability to sublingual routes. The patient goals were to remain at swallow medications in the last hours to days of home with optimal symptom management. Rapid relief of Alife. For most of these patients, symptoms are well symptoms was accomplished by the administration of managed with the administration of sublingual (SL) medi- medications already present in the home delivered with a cations. However, the SL route is ineffective for many pa- new rectal catheter that provides discreet access for tients in controlling symptoms.
    [Show full text]
  • Field Notes from the Frontline of a COVID-19 Outbreak
    Feature Article Field Notes From the Frontline of a COVID-19 Outbreak Dyspnea Management for Hospitalized Patients at End-of-Life 12/05/2020 on BhDMf5ePHKav1zEoum1tQfN4a+kJLhEZgbsIHo4XMi0hCywCX1AWnYQp/IlQrHD3i3D0OdRyi7TvSFl4Cf3VC4/OAVpDDa8K2+Ya6H515kE= by https://journals.lww.com/jhpn from Downloaded Dawn Pavlu, MSN, APN, AGACNP-BC, ACHPN, CCRN ¦ Katherine DeMarco, DNP, MSHS, APN, FNP-BC, ACHPN ¦ Downloaded Yusimi Sobrino-Bonilla, MSN, APN, ANP-BC, ACHPN, CCRN from https://journals.lww.com/jhpn Northern New Jersey was inside one of the worst initial dyspnea are described. These accounts include Lessons coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic epicenters in the Learned in order to assist others who may need to quickly United States. At the peak of the pandemic surge in mid- implement changes in the future due to pandemic April 2020, New Jersey saw 8045 hospitalized patients resurgence or second-wave events. with severe coronavirus disease 2019 symptoms, of which by BhDMf5ePHKav1zEoum1tQfN4a+kJLhEZgbsIHo4XMi0hCywCX1AWnYQp/IlQrHD3i3D0OdRyi7TvSFl4Cf3VC4/OAVpDDa8K2+Ya6H515kE= 2002 were in intensive care unit beds (86.3% of statewide capacity), including 1705 requiring mechanical ventilation. Because of the severity of pulmonary dysfunction/hypoxia, the unprecedented numbers of KEY WORDS critically ill patients, the national opioid shortage, and air hunger, COVID-19, dyspnea, end of life, opioids, transmission prevention measures for standard palliative palliative, pandemic, refractory dyspnea, care treatment protocols in place for refractory and/or shortness of breath end-of-life dyspnea were found to be ineffective in providing adequate symptom relief. The aim of the n the early months of 2020, as the coronavirus disease following Notes From the Field is to provide concise, 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic reached the shores of the pragmatic, and experiential reflection by 3 palliative care United States, New Jersey became one of the worst advanced practice nurses from 3 different hospital I epicenters in the nation.
    [Show full text]
  • 4/6/2017 1 Pediatric Palliative Care Where Passion and Compassion Merge Session Objectives Pediatric Palliative Care
    4/6/2017 Pediatric Palliative Care Where Passion and Compassion Merge Kimberly Battle‐Miller, MD, MBA, MS System Medical Director, Palliative Care and Hospice Advocate Health Care Session Objectives • Expand participants knowledge of similarities and differences in palliative care versus hospice in pediatric patients • Improve participants knowledge of how to identify pediatric patients who would benefit from Palliative medicine • Enhance participants appreciation for a team approach to patient care • Improve participants knowledge of pain and symptom management in pediatric palliative care Pediatric Palliative Care 101 • Similarities and differences in palliative care versus hospice in pediatric patients • Identifying pediatric patients who would benefit from Palliative medicine • Appreciation for a team approach to the care of the pediatric patient 1 4/6/2017 Statistics • 81 million children in the United States • Children represent 25% US population • United States 2.5 million deaths annually • About 50,000 deaths are pediatric 0‐19 (2.2%) • Half of childhood deaths are in first year of life • Half of infant deaths are in the first month of life Symptoms in Dying Children • 89% suffered from at least one symptom in their last month of life, most with 4‐5 symptoms • Most common reported symptoms: • Pain • Fatigue • Dyspnea • Constipation • Nausea/Vomiting • Poor appetite Wolfe, NEJM, 342:5; 2000 Causes of Deaths Infants with Complex Chronic C0nditions 1. Cardiovascular (32%) 2. Congenital / genetic (26%) 3. Respiratory (17%) 4. Neuromuscular (14%) www.nhpco.org, Facts & Figures on Pediatric Palliative Care and Hospice 2 4/6/2017 Causes of Death Children 1‐19 with Complex Chronic Condition 1. Malignancy (43%) 2.
    [Show full text]
  • Hospi Fact Sheet 122315
    THE MACY CATHETER® A New Option for Patient Comfort • RAPID, EASY FACILITATES RAPID SYMPTOM RELIEF AND SAFE • An immediate way to administer medications when the oral route is compromised • Utilizes medications already in the home; no waiting for delivery • COMFORTABLE of compounded or parenteral medications1 AND DIGNIFIED • Suspensions or solutions are generally absorbed more quickly than suppositories2 • COST EFFECTIVE PR MEDICATION ADMINISTRATION IS COMMONLY USED IN SYMPTOM MANAGEMENT FOR3: • Pain, Agitation, Anxiety, Dementia • Dyspnea, Terminal Fever • Acute Nausea, Vomiting MINIMIZE ADDITIONAL MEDICATION COSTS ELIMINATE DELIVERY CHARGES DECREASE FREQUENCY OF NURSE VISITS FDA INDICATION: “The Macy Catheter truly enhances the care experience for patients and families coping with serious or advanced illness, helping To provide rectal patients to remain comfortable in the setting of their choice.” access to administer Brad Macy RN, BSN, CHPN Co-founder of Hospi, Recipient of 2013’s National Hospice liquids/medications and Palliative Care Nurse of the Year Award 4 EASY STEPS FOR MACY CATHETER PLACEMENT LUBRICATE INSERT INFLATE SECURE FACTORS AFFECTING RECTAL ABSORPTION THE MACY CATHETER STORY The Macy Catheter was invented by • Mucosa is highly vascularized Brad Macy, RN, a practicing hospice • High % absorptive cells nurse for 20 years. One night Brad had a patient who was terminally agitated • Small, dry surface area and not responding to a solid form of • Increased bioavailability Inferior a rectally delivered medication. He vena cava administered the same medication in Inferior a semi-liquid form with a small tube mesenteric vein inserted into the rectum. Brad saw his patient's agitation rapidly diminished, and the patient was sleeping within 30 minutes.
    [Show full text]
  • OPTIONS for CLIENTS WHO CANNOT SWALLOW Gastric/Jejunal Tubes and Rectal Administration of Aid-In Dying Medications
    OPTIONS FOR CLIENTS WHO CANNOT SWALLOW Gastric/Jejunal Tubes and Rectal Administration of Aid-In Dying Medications Suggestions from EOLWA Using materials from Thalia DeWolf, RN, CHPN at ACAMAID, Nancy Simmers, RN at EOLWA, Bob Wood, MD Volunteer Medical Advisor and Carol Parrot, MD, Clinical Consultant End of Life Washington (Rev. 2/21/2021) Death with Dignity is legal even if a person cannot swallow or can no longer eat. The Washington Death with Dignity Act was written and passed with the expectation that those who qualify for and decide to take life-ending medicines would simply swallow (ingest) the medicine, then fall asleep and die. Some of our clients are unable to swallow1. If the medicine is administered into the food ‘tract’ (medically known as the ‘gastrointestinal or GI’ tract – which starts at the mouth and ends at the rectum), patients can take life-ending medications at either end, or through a tube somewhere in-between. Gastric Tubes or Jejunal tubes: Using medicines to end life does require a segment of the GI tract long enough for medicines to be administered and well absorbed. Patients unable to swallow can be provided tubes inserted into the GI tract to administer fluids, nutrition, and medications. A ‘nasogastric’ (through the nose into the stomach) tube might be used for this purpose. A PEG (Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy) tube can be placed through the abdomen into the stomach. Or, a ‘J’ tube can be placed through the abdomen into the jejunum (the small intestine). Any of these tubes can be used by clients to self-administer life-ending medications.
    [Show full text]
  • Giving Meds by Alternate Routes
    −This Clinical Resource gives subscribers additional insight related to the Recommendations published in− August 2017 ~ Resource #330823 Giving Meds by Alternate Routes Off-label routes of drug administration are considered when patients can’t take a medication by the usual route. Other reasons for using an alternative administration route include minimization of side effects, dosing accuracy, improved efficacy, or cost savings. Examples include administration of oral or injectable medications rectally, or injectables orally. Consider injectables orally when an oral solution is needed, but isn’t available or is unsuitable. Rectal administration of tablets, capsules, oral liquids, or injectables may be the best route at the end of life. Ophthalmic drops can generally be used in the ear to save money.11 But ear drops cannot be used in the eye; their preservatives may harm the eye, they aren’t buffered for eye use, and they aren’t always sterile.11-13 Evidence supporting off-label administration routes is often anecdotal and from experience in end- of-life patients. Use your knowledge of physiology, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and pharmaceutics to avoid mishaps. Avoid oral use of injectable meds if the drug isn’t stable in the GI tract or is poorly absorbed orally. Ensure patients or caregivers know how to administer the drug by the alternative route, and give specific instructions for the label instead of writing “as directed.” The table below provides information on alternative routes for certain medications. For important information specific to rectal administration, see footnote “a.” For important information specific to intranasal administration see footnote “b.” Medication Alternative Comments Route Acetylcysteine injection Oral Dilute the 20% solution with three parts diet soda to one part acetylcysteine injection.
    [Show full text]
  • Gilchrist Quality and Patient Safety Plan FY2018 EXHIBIT F
    EXHIBIT F Gilchrist Quality and Patient Safety Plan FY2018 Gilchrist - Quality and Patient Safety Plan FY18 Page 1 of 12 EXHIBIT F Page Table of Contents 3-5 Plan Summary 6-7 Dashboard for FY 2018 Glossary 8-11 Gilchrist - Quality and Patient Safety Plan FY18 Page 2 of 12 EXHIBIT F Plan Overview Each element of the FY2018 Gilchrist Quality Plan is intended to guide hospice and end-of-life care performance in accordance with the CMS Quality Strategy for hospice and the GBMC “Quadruple” AIM: Better Health, Better Care, Least Waste and More Joy. The ultimate goal of hospice care is to help the patient and family receive care aligned with their preferences, while improving quality of life as death nears. Defining and measuring the quality of hospice care is challenging given its strong ties to patient preferences, the terminal health status of patients, and the challenges of an interdisciplinary team delivering services in various settings, including patients’ homes and residential care settings. National data gathering and public reporting are in their initial stages and as a result the consumer currently has limited information about the quality of hospice care to help them select a provider. Efforts to reach consensus on defining hospice quality –including the National Consensus Project for Quality Palliative Care – has generated the measures currently implemented in The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Hospice Quality Reporting Program. The first of these CMS measures is the Hospice Item Set (HIS), a patient-level instrument administered as part of the hospice admissions process. It is used to gather data on seven quality measures.
    [Show full text]
  • Rectal Administration and the Macy Catheter® February 2018 Patient
    Rectal Administration and The Macy Catheter® February 2018 Patient Case JK is a 68 year old male with a primary diagnosis of lung cancer metastatic to bone, brain, and liver. He also has a history of cardiac disease and no known allergies. JK lives at home with his wife who is his primary caregiver. Current Medications: • Morphine extended release (MS Contin®) 60mg tablet; Take two tablets (120mg) by mouth every 12 hours for pain • Oxycodone 40mg/ml compounded oral solution; Take 0.5ml (20mg) by mouth every 4 hours as needed for pain • Dexamethasone (Decadron®) 4mg/ml suspension; Take 1ml (4mg) by mouth daily for cerebral edema • Lorazepam (Ativan®) 1mg tablet; Take one tablet by mouth every 4 hours as needed for anxiety • Haloperidol (Haldol®) 2mg/ml oral solution; Take 0.5ml (1mg) by mouth every 4 hours as needed for agitation JK has a strong desire to remain at home and refused inpatient care in the past when his symptoms worsened. His wife and family support his decision to stay at home and are working closely with the hospice team to aggressively manage his pain, occasional seizure activity, and agitation. When first admitted to hospice, JK’s pain control was acceptable. However, during the first week, JK had a seizure that was controlled with a diazepam suppository. He was continued on lorazepam 1 mg, but the order was changed from PRN to every 6 hours around the clock for seizure prevention and to manage his anxiety and restlessness. JK was having periods of unconsciousness, rendering him unable to swallow routine liquid medications.
    [Show full text]
  • Anticonvulsants and Rectal Use: Best Practices | April 2021
    Anticonvulsants and Rectal Use: Best Practices | April 2021 SEIZURES AT END OF LIFE: AN OVERVIEW Seizures are a rare but serious complication at end of life. The incidence of seizure occurrence in hospice patients is not known. Patients at an increased risk for seizures are those with brain cancer, cerebrovascular disease, metabolic abnormalities, certain genetic disorders and/or pre-existing seizure disorders.1 Anticonvulsant therapy should continue, if possible, for patients with a history of seizures, brain tumors with experience of seizures, or a history of status epilepticus. Up to 40% of patients with brain tumors have a seizure at the time of diagnosis. Another 20% develop seizures during the course of the illness. In the past, anticonvulsants were commonly started at the time of brain tumor diagnosis, however they have not been found to prevent seizures. Guidelines published by the American Academy of Neurology do not support seizure prophylaxis. Based on the lack of evidence for benefit, anticonvulsants can be safely discontinued in patients with brain tumors who have never had a seizure.1,2 Most acute seizures are short-lived and terminate spontaneously. The exception is status epilepticus (SE), defined as a crisis in which seizure activity is abnormal, prolonged and refractory to management. Guidelines for managing SE recommend the use of intravenous medications and suggest that neurological, respiratory and cardiovascular monitoring be available. Considering many hospice patients reside at home, these resources may not always
    [Show full text]
  • Decreasing Hospital Transfers in the Skilled Nursing Setting Utilizing a Rectal Administration Catheter for Treatment of Changes in Patient Condition
    Decreasing Hospital Transfers in the Skilled Nursing Setting Utilizing a Rectal Administration Catheter for Treatment of Changes in Patient Condition: A Preliminary Case Series Study Summary: In this case series review, a specialized rectal administration catheter provided eff ective short term hydration in all patients. The catheter intervention was successful in avoiding emergency room or hospital transfers in 7 of the 9 (78%) patients with conditions deemed serious enough to mandate hospitalization if not treated within the facility. The 6 patients able to self-report comfort of the hydration procedure reported hydration via the catheter as very comfortable (5 on a scale of 1 – 5). Staff reported high satisfaction using the catheter in all cases. Bob Parker, DNP, RN, CENP, CHPN Chief Clinical and Compliance Offi cer | Hospice and Palliative Care Siegfried Kreis, MD, CMD Internal Medicine Hospice & Palliative Medicine (Board Certifi ed) Medical Director, Interim Hospice Data included in this white paper was presented in a poster by Bob Parker entitled, “Managing Changes in Condition in the SNF with a Rectal Administration Catheter to Prevent ED and Hospital Utilization,” at the AAHPM/HPNA Annual Assembly, Boston, MA, March 15 2018. The poster won the fi rst place research poster award. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials on these pages are copyrighted. All rights reserved. No part ofthese pages, either text or image may be used for any purpose without the express written permission.Reproduction, modifi cation, storage in a retrieval systemor retransmission, in any form or by anymeans, electronic, mechanical or otherwise, is strictly prohibited without prior written permission. Hospi-10124-v4 1 Introduction Skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) are facing numerous chal- lenges in today’s changing healthcare climate.
    [Show full text]
  • Pharmacokinetics of Phenobarbital in Microenema Via Macy Catheter Versus Suppository Y
    Vol. - No. --2016 Journal of Pain and Symptom Management 1 Original Article Pharmacokinetics of Phenobarbital in Microenema Via Macy Catheter Versus Suppository Y. W. Francis Lam, PharmD, FCCP, Ansom Lam, MD, and Brad Macy, RN, BSN, BA, CHPN Department of Pharmacology (Y.W.F.L.), University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas; WCCT Global (A.L.), Cypress, California; and Hospi Corporation (B.M.), Newark, California, USA Abstract Context. The oral route is compromised for nearly all patients approaching death. When agitation, seizures, or other intractable symptoms occur, a quick, discreet, comfortable, and effective alternate route for medication delivery that is easy to administer in the home setting is highly desirable. Objectives. To characterize the early absorption profile, variability, and comfort of phenobarbital given in microenema Ò suspensions delivered via the Macy Catheter (MC) vs. the same dose given via suppository. Methods. This was a randomized, open-label, crossover study comparing the early absorption profile of equal doses of phenobarbital administered rectally in three treatment phases: phenobarbital suppository and two different microenemas with phenobarbital tablets crushed and suspended in 6 mL (MC-6) or 20 mL (MC-20) of tap water. Results. Mean plasma phenobarbital concentrations at 10 minutes were 12Â higher for MC-20 and 8Â higher for MC-6 compared to suppository. Concentrations achieved in 30 minutes via MC-20 took almost three hours to achieve with suppository. Mean AUC values were higher for MC-20 and MC-6 (82% and 46%, respectively) vs. suppository (P < 0.05). There was less variability in absorption for MC-20 and MC-6 (1.4- to 1.9-fold difference) compared to a 4.4-fold difference via suppository.
    [Show full text]