70779 - Significant Clinical Pictures in the Incurable Patient

Learning outcomes

Primarily, students should: 
- be able to identify patients with pain, 
- learn to understand a patient's pain and all its implications for the patient's quality of 
life, 
- know and apply the methods of analgesia which offer effective pain control for the 
majority of patients, and to classify those methods in a graded scheme, 
- be able to evaluate the effectiveness of a particular pain management, 
- know and be able to apply the indications for appropriate psychotherapeutic treatment 
for pain. 
In particular, students should be able to differentiate between and to specifically treat four 
main syndromesof cancer pain,  neuropathic pain, - chronic pain.

Course contents

1. The course is structured to provide the student with notions on the therapy of pain in patients with cancer.
2. To apprehend the basic neuro-pathophysiology of the pain phenomenon as the rational for the understanding of cancer pain manifestations and their treatment.
3. To provide clinical tools for the approach and for the visit of the patient with cancer pain,
4. To apprehend the pathophysiology and clinical features of common painful syndromes and their treatment.
5. To apprehend the principal techniques and pharmacological tools for pain evaluation and treatment of cancer pain.

Readings/Bibliography

Slides shown during the lessons

Teaching methods

Interactive frontal lessons with PC projection of the didactic material and clinical case movies.
Particular attention will be given to the application of the neurphysiopathology and clinical pharmacology notions in pain therapy.

Assessment methods

The class is part of an integrated course. The examination at the end of the course aims to appraise the attainment of the didactic objectives exposed during the lessons according to the program of each class of the Integrated Course. The student will be questioned for verifying the attainment of the didactic objectives by the responsible of each subject of the integrated course. The final vote of the integrated Course is defined, at the end of the oral test, on the average of the votes obtained in the 4 subjects of the Integrated Course, expressed out of 30 (i.e. 18/30 the least – 30/30 cum laude the maximum).

Teaching tools

1. Lessons in the classroom.

2. clinical cases.

Office hours

See the website of Rita Maria Melotti