Biomaterial Database

[Truth at bedside in relation to poor prognosis. From the viewpoint of the hospital chaplain]. 1988

P G Michelbrand

Malteser-Krankenhaus, Bonn.

A few weeks ago the doctor informed me of a 35-year-old woman, who was being treated for cancer. The patient, a mother of two children, already has full metastasis. When the doctor did his visits, she asked him very clearly and directly about her condition, but he gave evasive answers. Afterwards he asked me: "What should I do? Am I allowed to tell her the truth, although there is nothing left to hope for?" I advised him to answer all her questions truly and honestly, and he did. We decided to accompany the patient in her struggles and difficulties. During that time we had very profound dialogues with her about her worries and anxieties. While grappling with the problem of death many people awaken to a deeper sense of life. My task in the hospital Pastoral Care is to be with the people in their questions, thoughts and complaints; to endure and share their weariness and difficulties, not to give superficial and trivial answers.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D010190	Pancreatic Neoplasms	Tumors or cancer of the PANCREAS. Depending on the types of ISLET CELLS present in the tumors, various hormones can be secreted: GLUCAGON from PANCREATIC ALPHA CELLS; INSULIN from PANCREATIC BETA CELLS; and SOMATOSTATIN from the SOMATOSTATIN-SECRETING CELLS. Most are malignant except the insulin-producing tumors (INSULINOMA).	Cancer of Pancreas,Pancreatic Cancer,Cancer of the Pancreas,Neoplasms, Pancreatic,Pancreas Cancer,Pancreas Neoplasms,Pancreatic Acinar Carcinoma,Pancreatic Carcinoma,Acinar Carcinoma, Pancreatic,Acinar Carcinomas, Pancreatic,Cancer, Pancreas,Cancer, Pancreatic,Cancers, Pancreas,Cancers, Pancreatic,Carcinoma, Pancreatic,Carcinoma, Pancreatic Acinar,Carcinomas, Pancreatic,Carcinomas, Pancreatic Acinar,Neoplasm, Pancreas,Neoplasm, Pancreatic,Neoplasms, Pancreas,Pancreas Cancers,Pancreas Neoplasm,Pancreatic Acinar Carcinomas,Pancreatic Cancers,Pancreatic Carcinomas,Pancreatic Neoplasm
D002604	Chaplaincy Service, Hospital	Hospital department which administers religious activities within the hospital, e.g., pastoral care, religious services.	Hospital Chaplaincy Service,Service, Chaplaincy Hospital,Service, Hospital Chaplaincy,Chaplaincy Hospital Service,Chaplaincy Hospital Services,Chaplaincy Services, Hospital,Hospital Chaplaincy Services,Hospital Service, Chaplaincy,Hospital Services, Chaplaincy,Services, Chaplaincy Hospital,Services, Hospital Chaplaincy
D005260	Female		Females
D006748	Hospital Departments	Major administrative divisions of the hospital.	Departments, Hospital,Department, Hospital,Hospital Department
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000328	Adult	A person having attained full growth or maturity. Adults are of 19 through 44 years of age. For a person between 19 and 24 years of age, YOUNG ADULT is available.	Adults
D001293	Attitude to Death	Conceptual response of the person to the various aspects of death, which are based on individual psychosocial and cultural experience.	Attitudes to Death,Death, Attitude to,Death, Attitudes to
D014342	Truth Disclosure	Truthful revelation of information, specifically when the information disclosed is likely to be psychologically painful ("bad news") to the recipient (e.g., revelation to a patient or a patient's family of the patient's DIAGNOSIS or PROGNOSIS) or embarrassing to the teller (e.g., revelation of medical errors).	Disclosure, Truth,Disclosure, Error,Disclosures, Error,Disclosures, Truth,Error Disclosure,Error Disclosures,Truth Disclosures