Palliative care - Christina Faull

The care of patients with advanced and terminal illness can be extremely rewarding but often causes junior and indeed senior clinicians a considerable amount of discomfort. Patients with advanced disease present some of the most challenging ethical, physical, psychological, spiritual and social issues to clinicians and indeed to society. In line with the new integrated medical curricula, Palliative Care introduces the medical student and junior doctor to the problems experienced bypatients with advanced disease. Information is provided in an accessible, user-friendly and interactive way and covers a wide range of physical and non-physical symptom management. Multiprofessional team work is addressed, as is the role and support of families. There is also a consideration of thedilemmas and decisions that may be encountered by doctors around the end of a patient's life.Cover illustration: A water-colour titled 'The healing touch' reproduced with the kind permission of the artist Michele Angelo Petrone. Michele paints and writes of his experience during the treatment of Hodgkin's Disease.'I need to know that this body is my body. And I need to know everything that is happening to my body. But most of all I need to know that you know that within my body there is me. Healing is brought about not just by medicine. It's not just treatment which cures you, but all that encompasses the human touch. A smile means more than an antibiotic injection, a hug more than a platelet transfusion. The face - of my friends, my family, my nurses and - yes - even my doctors, shows sympathy,compassion and understanding. This human face contributes so much to healing of the tortured soul'.