Main description:

As humanitarian aid organizations have evolved, there is a growing recognition that incorporating palliative care into aid efforts is an essential part of providing the best care possible. A Field Manual for Palliative Care in Humanitarian Crises represents the first-ever effort at educating and providing guidance for clinicians not formally trained in palliative care in how to incorporate its principles into their work in crisis situations. Written
by a team of international experts, this pocket-sized manual identifies the needs of people affected by natural hazards, political or ethnic conflict, epidemics of life-threatening infections, and other humanitarian crises. Later chapters explore topics including pain management, skin conditions, non-communicable
diseases, palliative care emergencies, the law and ethics of end of life care, and more. Concise and highly accessible, this manual is an ideal educational tool pre-deployment or during fieldwork for clinicians involved in planning and providing humanitarian aid, local care providers, and medical trainees.

Contents:

1. Introduction: Why Palliative Care?
Elisha Waldman and Marcia Glass

2. Palliative Care Needs of People Affected by Natural Hazards, Political or Ethnic Conflict, Epidemics of Life-Threatening Infections, and Other Humanitarian Crises
Eric L. Krakauer, Bethany-Rose Daubman, Tammam Aloudat, Nahid Bhadelia, Lynn Black, Sanja Janjanin, and Farzana Khan

3. Practical Tips on Integrating Palliative Care
Brett Sutton and Joan Marston

4. Pain Management
Elisha Waldman and Stefan J. Friedrichsdorf

5. Dyspnea
Meaghann S. Weaver

6. Gastrointestinal Symptom Management
Gary Hsin

7. Delirium and Acute Anxiety
Kevin Bezanson and Stephanie Rogers

8. Skin Conditions in Crisis Areas
Marcia Glass, Carrie Kovarik, Mara Haseltine, Sandra L. Freiwald, and Susan Barbour

9. Care of the Dying Patient
Megan Doherty and Joshua Hauser

10. Noncommunicable Diseases in Crisis Regions
Sujatha Sankaran, Sriram Shamasunder, Marcia Glass, and Mhoira E.F. Leng

11. Palliative Care Emergencies in Humanitarian Crises
David M. Williscroft

12. Pediatric Palliative Care in the Context of Humanitarian Crises
Elisha Waldman and Justin N. Baker

13. Essential Medicines
Catherine Habashy, Sarah L. Comolli, and Justin N. Baker

14. Communicating Bad News
Meaghann S. Weaver and Michaela Ibach

15. Law and Ethics of End-of-Life Care in Humanitarian Crises
Natasha Yacoub, Lisa Schwartz, and Kevin Bezanson

16. Cultural, Psychological, and Spiritual Dimensions of Palliative Care in Humanitarian Crises
Denah M. Joseph, Peter Yuichi Clark, and Jessi Humphreys

17. A Trauma-Informed Response to Working in Humanitarian Crises: Focus on Providers
Denah M. Joseph and Jessi Humphreys