This Paediatric Palliative Care Manual, developed by the Paediatric Palliative Care Unit of the Pereira Rossell Hospital Center (UCPP-CHPR) in Montevideo, Uruguay, is aimed at non-specialist healthcare professionals and all those who care for or participate in the care of children with life-threatening and/or life-limiting illnesses, in all healthcare settings.
It reflects the experience, study, and reflection of this team’s 16 years of work in caring for children, adolescents, and their families, as well as the lessons learned from multiple in-person and remote exchanges with colleagues from Uruguay, other Latin American countries, and other from all continents.
The book succinctly and concretely presents the main topics of interest to professionals from all healthcare disciplines who are responsible for providing care to children and adolescents with life-threatening and/or life-limiting illnesses. Each chapter describes the main definitions, comprehensive assessment strategies, and multimodal treatment for providing primary or general PPC. It also includes references to opportunities where consultation with PPC specialists is necessary.
Each chapter is preceded by a literary text alluding to the topic, demonstrating the wealth of global literature on different aspects of health and disease. This offers the reader the opportunity to consult these sources to complement the learning process from other perspectives, but also to enjoy it as a personal care strategy for caregivers.
The final chapters and appendices present useful information and resources for clinical practice in PPC, such as assessment scales, medication doses by symptom, a directory of information resources, etc.
By democratizing the knowledge of PPC, this manual aims to contribute to narrowing the current gap in access to PPC in Uruguay and the region. It aims to contribute to improving healthcare for children, adolescents, and their families who suffer the consequences of life-threatening and/or life-limiting illnesses, and to promote a better quality of life for all of them.
Bernadá M. Bibliomédica ed., Montevideo, 2024