Paliatívna medicína a liečba bolesti 1-2e/2018

Pediatric palliative care in Slovakia

Pediatric palliative care is the active total care of the child’s body, mind and spirit and also involves giving support to the family. The main aim of pediatric palliative care is to alleviate a child’s pain and others distressing symptoms. Life-limiting diseases are diseases with no reasonable hope of cure that will ultimately be fatal. Pediatric palliative care begins when the illness is diagnosed and continues regardless of whether or not a child receives treatment directed at the disease. Effective palliative care requires a multidisciplinary approach that includes the family and it can be provided in health centers or in patient’s home. A study presents information about reasons, incidence, prevalence and morality of life-limiting diseases in Slovakia. Our results indicate the significant need of development of pediatric palliative care in Slovakia.

Keywords: pediatric palliative care, life-limiting disease, mortality, home hospice