Background: The narrow link between practice, education, and research is essential to palliative care development. In Portugal, academic postgraduate publications are the main booster for palliative care research. Methods: This is a bibliometric study that aims to identify Portuguese palliative care postgraduate academic work published in electronic academic repositories between 2000 and 2015. Results: 488 publications were identified. The number of publications has increased, especially in the last five years. The most frequently used method was quantitative, healthcare professionals were the most studied participants, and psychological and psychiatric aspects of care comprised the most current theme. Practice-based priorities are financial costs and benefits of palliative care, awareness and understanding of palliative care, underserved populations, best practices, communication, and palliative care in nonhospital settings. Conclusion: The number of palliative care postgraduate academic publications has increased in Portugal in the past few years. There is academic production in the eight domains of quality palliative care and on the three levels of recommendation for practice-based research priorities. The major research gaps in Portugal are at the system and societal context levels.

Background: While evidence demonstrates that end-of-life care practices vary across countries, there is still a lack of evidence regarding the healthcare that is received by adult individuals in the last months of life in Portugal. Methods: This is a systematic review that aims to examine the evidence published until 2019 regarding the healthcare received by adult individuals in the last months of life in Portugal. Results: Nine studies were included in this review. All of these were quantitative and retrospective studies, used patient records as the source of information, and were conducted in hospital settings. The time frame analysis before death ranged from 48 h to 3 months. The majority of the studies focused on the physical aspects of care, such as physical needs assessment and symptom management, prescribed medication, and invasive interventions. No evidence was found regarding spiritual, psychological, social or cultural needs. Conclusion: Although using patient records as a source of information may introduce a bias, this study indicates that there is a greater emphasis on the physical aspects of care and less on the psychological, spiritual or social aspects of care received by adult individuals in their last months of life in Portugal.

Background: Satisfaction with care is an important outcome measure in end-of-life care. Validated instruments are necessary to evaluate and disseminate interventions that improve satisfaction with care at the end of life, contributing to improving the quality of care offered at the end of life to the Portuguese population. The purpose of this study was to perform a cross-cultural adaptation and psychometric analysis of the Portuguese version of the CANHELP Lite Bereavement Questionnaire. Methods: Methodological research with an analytical approach that includes translation, semantic, and cultural adaptation. Results: The Portuguese version comprised 24 items. A panel of experts and bereaved family members found it acceptable and that it had face and content validity. A total of 269 caregivers across several care settings in the northern region of Portugal were recruited for further testing. The internal consistency analysis of the adapted instrument resulted in a global alpha value of 0.950. The correlation between the adapted CANHELP questionnaire and a global rating of satisfaction was of 0.886 (p < 0.001). Conclusions: The instrument has good psychometric properties. It was reliable and valid in assessing caregivers’ satisfaction with end-of-life care and can be used in both clinical and research settings.

Background: Children with special health care needs (CSHCN) have a range of health care needs that can influence their integration and their academic life. Early identification of CSHCN is essential for family and school health teams to plan better health care and promote school inclusion. Objective: To translate, culturally adapt, and validate the Children with Special Health Care Needs Screener (CSHCN Screener) for the Portuguese population. Methodology: Methodological study including translation and semantic and cultural adaptation. A total of 390 parents of children from the northern region of Portugal participated in the study. Results: The Portuguese version consists of 14 items. The panel of experts and the parents of CSHCN considered the instrument to be acceptable, understandable, and with content validity. The CSHCN Screener took about one minute to complete or self-complete. Conclusion: The Portuguese version of the CSHCN Screener proves to be a valid and reliable tool for identifying CSHCN. Marco contextual: Los niños con Necesidades Sanitarias Especiales (NSE) tienen diversas necessidades sanitarias que pueden influir en su integración y en su trayectoria escolar. La identificación precoz de las NSE es esencial para que los equipos de salud familiar y escolar planifiquen una mejor atención sanitaria e impulsen la inclusión escolar. Objetivo: Traducir, adaptar culturalmente y validar para la población portuguesa el instrumento Children with Special Health Care Needs Screener (CSHCN Screener). Metodología: Estudio metodológico que incluye la traducción y la adaptación semántica y cultural. Participaron 390 padres de niños de la región norte de Portugal. Resultados: La versión portuguesa consta de 14 ítems. El panel de expertos y los padres de niños com NSE consideraron que el instrumento era aceptable, comprensible y válido en cuanto al contenido. El CSHCN Screener tardó aproximadamente un minuto en completarse o autocompletarse. Conclusión: La versión portuguesa del CSHCN Screener demuestra ser un instrumento válido y fiable para identificar a los niños con NSE Enquadramento: Crianças com Necessidades de Saúde Especiais (NSE) apresentam diversas necessidades de saúde que podem influenciar a sua integração e o seu percurso escolar. A identificação precoce das NSE é fundamental para que as equipas de saúde familiar e escolar planeiem melhores cuidados de saúde e potenciem a inclusão escolar. Objetivo: Traduzir, adaptar culturalmente e validar para a população portuguesa o instrumento Children with Special Health Care Needs Screener (CSHCN Screener). Metodologia: Estudo metodológico que inclui a tradução e adaptação semântica e cultural. Participaram 390 pais de crianças da região norte de Portugal. Resultados: A versão portuguesa é composta por 14 itens. O painel de peritos e os pais de crianças com NSE consideraram o instrumento aceitável, compreensível e com validade no conteúdo. O CSHCN Screener levou cerca de um minuto a ser preenchido ou autopreenchido. Conclusão: A versão portuguesa do CSHCN Screener demonstra ser um instrumento válido e fiável na identificação de crianças com NSE.

Background: Although there is recent evidence from a range of sources that demonstrates the usefulness of assessing satisfaction with healthcare, there is still a lack of evidence regarding the satisfaction with healthcare received by adult individuals at the EOL in Portugal. Methods: This systematic review aims to examine and synthesize the evidence published through 2024 regarding satisfaction with care received by adult individuals at the EOL in Portugal. Results: Seven studies were included in this review. Six out of the seven studies were quantitative descriptive cross-sectional studies. The majority of them used family caregivers as the source of information. Most studies had small samples that characterized the satisfaction with care received in a palliative care context in a specific region of the country. Sixteen different variables were studied to understand the factors that influence satisfaction with care. The majority of them were related to the personal characteristics of the patient or the family caregiver. No evidence was found regarding the study of variables related to the patient’s trajectory, location of care provision, or place of death. Conclusions: The different instruments used in the data collection in all of the included studies made it difficult to compare the results and draw definite conclusions regarding satisfaction with care received by adult individuals at the EOL in Portugal. Although different levels of satisfaction with the care were found, it can be concluded that the results tend to be positive in the palliative care context.

Please confirm that an ethics committee approval has been applied for or granted: Not relevant (see information at the bottom of this page) Background and Aims Pathological fractures in cancer patients cause severe pain that is difficult to control pharmacologically. Continuous regional nerve blocks play a definite role in controlling such pain. Continuous Femoral Nerve Block (cFNB) was described a safe and effective analgesic technique for hip fractures, especially in adult patients. Methods A 7-year-old girl, weighing 23kg, ASA IV, with a palliative metastatic neuroblastoma and thrombocytopenia (71000 platelets) was scheduled for bilateral femoral neck fracture osteosynthesis at 2 different surgical timings, under the same anaesthesia technique. General anaesthesia was combined with ipsilateral cFNB performed under ultrasound guide, and a 9ml bolus of 0.2% ropivacaine was administered. Intraoperatively analgesia was completed with lidocaine (1mg/Kg), ketamine (0.3mg/Kg). Postoperatively a perfusion of 0.1% ropivacaine at 5ml/h was initiated and maintained until day 4 postoperative combined with acetaminophen (15ml/Kg) every 6 hours. Results Surgery and anaesthesia were uneventful. In the postoperative period leading to hospital discharge (5 days later), the VAS at rest or movement remained low (0-1), and no rescue analgesia was needed. The child showed an extreme degree of satisfaction with the management of postoperative pain, and no complications with the cFNB were reported during the hospital stay. Conclusions In the present case report, a Continuous FNB was found to be a safe and effective analgesic technique for the management of pain associated with pathological fractures in paediatric cancer patient with thrombocytopenia. Consequently, cFNB should also be considered for these patients also preoperatively, to ensure adequate pain management and improved overall patient experience.