Palliative care for patients with multiple sclerosis

• Published in: Medycyna paliatywna Vol. 5; no. 2; p. 41
• Main Authors: Brola, Waldemar, Kasprzyk, Marta, Fudala, Malgorzata, Opara, Józef
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English; Polish
• Published: Poznan Termedia Publishing House 01.04.2013
• ISSN: 2081-0016; 2081-2833

Multiple sclerosis is a progressive disease of the central nervous system that inevitably concludes with permanent disability. Despite a significant in immunotherapy, there is an increase in the number of patients requiring full-time care and assistance in performing basic everyday tasks. Specific symptoms of the disease are caused by damage in almost every functional systems of the central nervous system. The consequences of psychological, cognitive and psychosocial nature cause a major decrease in the quality of life. Palliative care is reserved mostly for oncological patients, rarely involving other groups of patients. Multiple sclerosis patients also require such care, but in most of the cases it is unavailable in the Polish scale of things. Thus there is a need for providing support for the patients with the most serious disability, who are forced to rely only on symptomatic treatment and are deprived of therapy that modifies the course of the disease.