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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2013 Aug 29.
Published in final edited form as: J Pain Symptom Manage. 2010 Sep 17;40(6):829–837. doi: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2010.03.024

Table 2. Themes Elicited From Analysis of Caregiver Responses to Questions About Symptoms and Treatments.

Topic Themes
Symptoms experienced by patients with advanced
 CF lung disease

  • Individual patients have numerous symptoms

  • Symptom overlap is common

  • Many disease-specific treatments cause discomfort but are felt to be necessary
Symptom assessment

  • Nurses, not physicians, provide primary symptom assessment

  • Use of mechanical ventilation limits symptom assessment
Symptom management

  • Medical providers do the best they can to treat symptoms

  • Medical treatments have limitations; some symptoms cannot be controlled

  • Treatment side effects limit optimal symptom management
Attitudes about medications used to treat symptoms

  • Medications may reduce distressing symptoms

  • Concern about medication side effects

  • Attachment of stigma to certain medications by patients, caregivers, and medical providers