Sumner Lizabeth H
San Diego Hospice, USA.
Caring. 2003 May;22(5):14-8.
The death of an infant or child is a special sorrow, leaving a devastating and enduring impact that demands of us the very best we can offer to prevent and relieve suffering--for the child as well as the family. Pediatric end-of-life care is very different from adult palliative and hospice care and thus requires specialized knowledge and training to address the unique needs of these patients. In the wake of a recent Institute of Medicine (IOM) report on palliative and end-of-life care for children, there is a momentous opportunity to shed light on the scarcity of palliative and hospice care services for infants and children. A new coalition of pediatric hospice and palliative care leaders has been formed to serve as a unified voice for the leaders in the field, and the parents and children with which they work. This article examines the work of the coalition, the unique nature of pediatric end-of-life care, and the opportunities to effect change afforded by the release of the IOM report.
婴幼儿或儿童的死亡是一种特殊的悲痛，会留下毁灭性且持久的影响，这要求我们尽最大努力预防和减轻痛苦——无论是对孩子还是其家庭。儿科临终关怀与成人姑息治疗和临终关怀有很大不同，因此需要专业知识和培训来满足这些患者的独特需求。继美国医学研究所（IOM）近期发布关于儿童姑息治疗和临终关怀的报告之后，现在有一个重大契机来揭示婴幼儿和儿童姑息治疗与临终关怀服务的匮乏。一个由儿科临终关怀和姑息治疗领域领导者组成的新联盟已经成立，作为该领域领导者以及他们所服务的患儿及其家长的统一发声渠道。本文探讨了该联盟的工作、儿科临终关怀的独特性质，以及IOM报告发布所带来的推动变革的机遇。
