Cuidados Paliativos e Medicina

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Palliative Care in Polish Patients with Multiple Sclerosis

Jozef A. Opara, Waldemar Brola and Jaroslaw Szczygiel

Multiple sclerosis is a progressive disease of the central nervous system with unknown aetiology. It most frequently affects young adults and inevitably leads to disability. Despite significantly progressing development of immunomodulatory treatment, access to which in Poland is limited, the number of patients requiring continuous care and being unable to live independently is constantly growing. The specificity of MS symptoms results from damage of almost all functional systems of the nervous system. The physical, mental, cognitive and psychosocial consequences associated with the symptoms significantly decrease the patients' quality of life. Patients with advanced stage of multiple sclerosis actually qualify for palliative care, which in Poland is reserved mainly for oncological patients and rarely for other groups of patients. The Polish legal system does not provide guaranteed benefits for people with MS requiring palliative and hospice care. Therefore, it is necessary to take action aimed at supporting the most disabled patients who are deprived of the modifying treatment and are only left to symptomatic treatment.