Objective To identify the best therapy regime for dyspnea in an end-stage cancer patient.Method We searched The Cochrane Library (Issue 2, 2006), SUMsearch (1978 to 2006) and MEDLINE (1978 to 2006), and identified 4 systematic reviews and 28 randomised controlled trials. We critically assessed the quality of these studies. Result Evidence supported the use of breathing exercise, desensitisation, oral or parenteral opioids and antianxiety drugs to pall iate breathlessness. Patients with hypoxemia were found to benefit from oxygen therapy. Conclusions Physiotherapy, psychotherapy, oxygen therapy, opioids and antianxiety drugs can be considered in treating cancer patients with dyspnea.
Cirrhosis is an end stage of condition of various liver diseases with specific clinic and pathologic process. The incidence is high and it seriously affects the quality of life for patients. In order to obtain the best prevention and treatment for end-stage cirrhosis, we searched The Cochrane Library (Issue 3, 2004), SUMsearch (1981~2004) and MEDLINE (1981~2004), and identified 15 systematic reviews and 65 randomized controlled trials. We critically assessed the quality of studies. The results showed the principal treatment of cirrhosis was to deal with complications, such as the prevention and treatment of variceal bleeding, the treatment of ascites etc.