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It emphasizes symptom assessment and, most importantly, timely control strategies to reduce discomfort. These GI symptoms and complications can markedly lower patients’ quality of life, so treatment should proceed quickly and assertively. The scope is not exhaustive.",{"@graph":69,"@context":123},[70,84,106],{"@type":71,"itemListElement":72},"BreadcrumbList",[73,77,79,82],{"item":74,"name":75,"@type":76,"position":8},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":78,"name":9,"@type":76,"position":14},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/",{"item":80,"name":35,"@type":76,"position":81},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/healthcare/",3,{"item":83,"name":65,"@type":76,"position":19},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/gastro-intestinal-symptoms-in-palliative-care-patients-review/341139/",{"url":83,"name":65,"@type":85,"image":86,"author":91,"headline":65,"publisher":94,"fileFormat":97,"inLanguage":63,"description":67,"dateModified":98,"datePublished":99,"encodingFormat":97,"isAccessibleForFree":100,"interactionStatistic":101},"DigitalDocument",{"url":87,"@type":88,"width":89,"height":90},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/gastro-intestinal-symptoms-in-palliative-care-patients-review/341139.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":92,"@type":93},"Aurora","Person",{"url":74,"name":95,"@type":96},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-29","2026-09-22",true,{"@type":102,"interactionType":103,"userInteractionCount":105},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":104},"ViewAction",12,{"@type":107,"mainEntity":108},"FAQPage",[109,115,119],{"name":110,"@type":111,"acceptedAnswer":112},"Which gastro-intestinal symptoms are addressed in the review?","Question",{"text":113,"@type":114},"The review discusses constipation, nausea and vomiting, bowel obstructions, ascites, and GI bleeds in cancer patients receiving palliative care.","Answer",{"name":116,"@type":111,"acceptedAnswer":117},"Why is early assessment and treatment of GI symptoms important in palliative care?",{"text":118,"@type":114},"GI disturbances frequently affect quality of life, and early detection and treatment help alleviate further discomfort and burden for patients and their families.",{"name":120,"@type":111,"acceptedAnswer":121},"How is constipation assessed in advanced illness patients?",{"text":122,"@type":114},"Constipation assessment includes a detailed stool passage history, attention to frequency and stool consistency, evaluation of red flags such as pain or incomplete evacuation, and use of tools like the Victoria Hospice Bowel Performance Scale or the Bristol Stool Form Scale, supported by physical exam and imaging when needed.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":83,"og:type":125,"og:title":65,"og:site_name":95,"og:description":67},"article",{"robots":127,"canonical":83},"index,follow",{"doc_id":129,"site_id":62},341139,1790436978,{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":132},{"doc_id":129,"user_id":133,"nickname":92,"user_avatar":134,"doc_module":4,"category_id":34,"category_name":35,"doc_title":65,"doc_description":67,"doc_content":135,"file_id":136,"file_url":137,"file_type":138,"file_size":139,"view_count":105,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":8,"is_downloadable":8,"audit_status":8,"page_count":105,"language":140,"language_code":63,"site_id":62,"html_lang":63,"table_of_contents":141,"faqs":142,"seo_title":143,"seo_description":67,"update_tm":144,"read_time":41},4810365810221,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_155a257f0dc6eb9ab79c44ca47cae57d","Review  \nGastro-Intestinal Symptoms in Palliative Care Patients  \nGolda Elisa Tradounsky 1,2  \nCitation: Tradounsky, G.E.  \nGastro-Intestinal Symptoms in Palliative Care Patients. Curr. Oncol. 2024, 31, 2341–2352. [https://doi.org/](https://doi.org/)[ ](https://doi.org/)[10.3390/curroncol31040174](10.3390/curroncol31040174)  \nReceived: 15 March 2024  \nRevised: 8 April 2024  \nAccepted: 16 April 2024  \nPublished: 21 April 2024  \nCopyright: © 2024 by the author. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license ([https://](https://)[ ](https://)[creativecommons.org/licenses/by/](creativecommons.org/licenses/by/)[ ](creativecommons.org/licenses/by/)[4.0/](4.0/)) .  \n1 Palliative Care Services, Mount Sinai Hospital, CIUSSS West Central of the Island of Montreal, 5690 Cavendish Blvd, Côte Saint-Luc, QC H4W 1S7, Canada; [golda.tradounsky.med@ssss.gouv.qc.ca](golda.tradounsky.med@ssss.gouv.qc.ca)  \n2 Department of Family Medicine, McGill University, Montréal, QC H3S 1Z1, Canada  \nAbstract: This review of the palliation of various gastro-intestinal (GI) symptoms encountered in cancer patients is by no means exhaustive. Frequent symptoms such as constipation, nausea and vomiting, bowel obstructions, ascites and bleeds will be discussed, focusing on their assessment and most importantly, how to control the associated symptoms. All of these symptoms and GI complications can significantly impact patients’ quality of life (QOL) and should be treated as quickly and aggressively as possible.  \nKeywords: palliation; constipation; nausea and vomiting; bowel obstruction; ascites; bleeds  \n1. Introduction  \nGastro-intestinal (GI) symptoms occur frequently in palliative care patients and have a significant impact on their quality of life (QOL) . Oncologists, family physicians, nurse practitioners and nurses have an important role in the care of these patients; early detection and treatment of these GI disturbances can help alleviate further discomfort and burden for the patients and their family. This article will do a cursory review of assessment and treatment of constipation, nausea and vomiting, bowel obstructions, GI bleeds and ascites. It is by no means an exhaustive review, as patients can experience other GI symptoms than the ones listed above. PubMed ([https://pubmed-ncbi-nlm-nih-gov.proxy3.library.mcgill](https://pubmed-ncbi-nlm-nih-gov.proxy3.library.mcgill). ca/?otool=icamuhslib, accessed on 1 November 2023) was used for capturing of the last 5 years of English literature on various subjects such as constipation in palliative care or palliation, nausea and vomiting, bowel obstruction, GI bleeds and ascites. Earlier articles were retained if these seemed to contribute to pertinent substantial recommendations. To note as well is that though this article focuses on symptomatic cancer patients, family physicians and primary care nurse practitioners will also be addressing the palliative needs of patients with non-malignant terminal illnesses; some of the following recommendations may apply to that population as well.  \n2. Constipation  \nConstipation occurs in 23–87% of patients with an advanced illness [1,2] . It causes much discomfort; at a minimum there can be a sensation of bloating but it can lead to nausea, anorexia, pain, overflow diarrhea, urinary retention and delirium. There are many risk factors inpatients with a terminal illness that can lead to constipation: immobility, decreased fluid intake, decreased intake of foods and fibre, lack of privacy, ascites, diabetic neuropathy, hypercalcemia and various medications namely some anti-depressants, opioids, diuretics, calcium-channel blockers, antipsychotics such as olanzapine and 5HT3 serotonin receptor blocker anti-emetics (ondansetron) .  \nOne assesses for constipation by obtaining a thorough history of passage of stool. A frequency of three or more bowel movements","cbCaifD0XRR5fYSk","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaifD0XRR5fYSk","pdf",260519,"English","# 1. Introduction\n# 2. Constipation\n## Assessment\n## Treatment","[{\"question\":\"Which gastro-intestinal symptoms are addressed in the review?\",\"answer\":\"The review discusses constipation, nausea and vomiting, bowel obstructions, ascites, and GI bleeds in cancer patients receiving palliative care.\"},{\"question\":\"Why is early assessment and treatment of GI symptoms important in palliative care?\",\"answer\":\"GI disturbances frequently affect quality of life, and early detection and treatment help alleviate further discomfort and burden for patients and their families.\"},{\"question\":\"How is constipation assessed in advanced illness patients?\",\"answer\":\"Constipation assessment includes a detailed stool passage history, attention to frequency and stool consistency, evaluation of red flags such as pain or incomplete evacuation, and use of tools like the Victoria Hospice Bowel Performance Scale or the Bristol Stool Form Scale, supported by physical exam and imaging when needed.\"}]","Gastro-Intestinal Symptoms in Palliative Care Patients - review | PDF",1790040538]