Trivia Flashcards

Which of the following best describes the primary goal of hospice care as distinguished from curative care?

Answer: Achieving comfort and quality of life when cure is no longer the goal

Hospice focuses on comfort, dignity, and quality of life rather than curative or life-prolonging interventions.

St. Christopher's Hospice, the world's first modern hospice, was founded in which city?

Answer: London, England

Dame Cicely Saunders opened St. Christopher's Hospice in London in 1967, establishing the modern hospice model.

A POLST (Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment) form differs from a standard advance directive primarily because it:

Answer: Is a legal medical order immediately actionable by emergency responders

A POLST is a portable medical order signed by a physician that EMS and healthcare staff can act on immediately, unlike a directive that must be interpreted.

Which opioid side effect does NOT develop tolerance with continued opioid use?

Answer: Constipation

Constipation persists throughout opioid therapy because tolerance does not develop to opioid effects on gut motility.

Which interdisciplinary team member is primarily responsible for assessing and addressing existential distress and spiritual needs in hospice?

Answer: Chaplain or spiritual care provider

Chaplains and spiritual care providers are the primary team members trained to address spiritual and existential suffering.

Mottling of the skin (livedo reticularis) in a dying patient indicates:

Answer: Peripheral circulatory failure as death approaches

Mottling reflects poor peripheral perfusion and pooling of blood in superficial vessels, a common sign of imminent death.

Which scale is most appropriate for assessing pain in a non-verbal hospice patient with advanced dementia?

Answer: PAINAD (Pain Assessment in Advanced Dementia)

The PAINAD scale uses behavioral observations (breathing, vocalization, facial expression, body language, consolability) to estimate pain in non-verbal dementia patients.