Revisão sistemática da literatura

: avaliação da anorexia, caquexia e xerostomia

Abstract

Introduction: In palliative care, there is still no uniform practices and such instruments "standard" to assess the most prevalent symptoms. There is then a problem and a necessity in this area. As such, we present a systematic review of the literature on assessment tools used in research of three symptoms: anorexia, cachexia and xerostomia. Methodology: The primary sources of research were privileged, using books and original scientific articles of the authors of reference, periodicals obtained through PubMed and EBSCO published in the last 15 years, in Portuguese, English, French and Spanish. It was also used the Google search as a complement. Results: Of the studies found, 10 articles were selected for the study of anorexia, 2 articles for the study of cachexia and 4 articles for the study of xerostomia. The psychometric characteristics of the instruments have been taken into account as well as its validation for the Portuguese population. The instruments of the study vary between dimensional instruments, multidimensional instruments and quality of life measurement instruments. Conclusions: The use of symptom assessment tools is still little explored in international and national research. Through the studies it was concluded that there are no instruments considered "standard" for the evaluation of anorexia, cachexia and xerostomia. The instruments used at international level and validated for the Portuguese population are difficult to access, and not used in healthcare facilities. You can not compare the efficacy and effectiveness of interventions at national level, as there are no standardized assessment tools. There is a long way to go to meet the World Health Organization recommendations with regard to palliative care.

Date of Award	2 Jun 2015
Original language	Portuguese
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Manuel Luís Capelas (Supervisor)