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  By Hannah Tearle

  Apr 25, 2016
  The title of this book sums up its contents well. The book is made up of two parts. The first part is Dr Amery’s handbook and the second part is the Association of Paediatric Palliative Medicine Formulary (2015). Together this could be considered the bible of paediatric palliative care. The format of the book has been designed so that it is easy to use and the informal writing style makes it easy for anybody to read and understand. Dr Amery’s handbook is split into 15 sections which cover all of the problems commonly faced by health care professionals when caring for children who are dying. Each section is then broken down further to give step by step instructions. The book is derived from Dr Amery’s empirical research and twenty years experience along with other international contributors along with the available evidence. There is very little research carried out in the field of paediatric palliative care worldwide compared to other areas of medicine. It is a niche subject so... More > bringing these specialists wealth of knowledge and experience together makes it an invaluable resource. This handbook addresses communication, breaking bad news, playing, to symptom managing and self care. Each chapter has a title How do I... Using chapter six “How do I manage symptoms in children’s palliative care?” as an example will illustrate the format for the whole book as each chapter is structured in the same way. Part six is the largest chapter, but is still broken down simply to give the answers to any question you may have regarding symptom management. It starts by stating what may already be known and then it moves onto the section with information that may be useful. The first symptom described is pain. Different ways of assessing pain is explored first referring to WHO (2013) Then it moves onto non pharmacological and pharmacological management of pain, the use of opioids and the different types of pain. The chapter carries on the same logical format discussing all other symptoms that may need managing such as seizures, vomiting and anxiety to name a few. This handbook has been written for any health care professional across the world. Dr Amery has taken culture and different socioeconomic backgrounds into consideration. The handbook will soon become an indispensible tool for all healthcare professionals within the field of children’s palliative care. Hannah Tearle, Senior Sister, Children’s Inpatient Unit, Keech Hospice Care< Less
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