Talk:Terminal illness

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[edit] palliative care

The explanation that palliative care is normally offered to all patients is too simplified. Palliative care is may include treatments not normally offered to all patients. Eg, pain relief that incurs a high physiological cost: morphine and radiation come to mind. --Una Smith (talk) 04:45, 13 February 2008 (UTC)

Thanks for your note. Does my recent change address this concern (adequately, or even at all)? I'd be happy to hear any other thoughts about this article.

I think there is some diversity of opinion regarding the proper metes and bounds of palliative care. The main article on that topic, for example, claims that the term applies to "any form of medical care or treatment that concentrates on reducing the severity of disease symptoms, rather than providing a cure," which could include minor interventions (like giving paracetamol to an influenza patient to reduce a fever). WhatamIdoing (talk) 05:41, 13 February 2008 (UTC)