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Fredheim OMS, Torvund SK, Thoresen L, Magelssen M. How should respiratory depression and loss of airway patency be handled during initiation of palliative sedation? Acta Anaesthesiol Scand 2024; 68:675-680. [PMID: 38391048 DOI: 10.1111/aas.14396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2023] [Revised: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Loss of airway patency has been reported during initiation of palliative sedation. In present guidelines the loss of airway patency during initiation of palliative sedation is not addressed. Airway patency can be restored by jaw thrust/chin lift or placing the patient in the recovery position. AIM A structured ethical analysis of how respiratory depression and loss of airway patency during initiation of palliative sedation should be handled. The essence of the dilemma is whether it is appropriate to apply simple non-invasive methods to restore airway patency in order to avoid the patient's immediate death. DESIGN A structured analysis based on the four principles of healthcare ethics and stakeholders' interests. RESULTS Beneficence and autonomy support a decision not to regain airway patency whereas non-maleficence lends weight to a decision to restore airway patency. Whether the proportionality criterion of the principle of double effect is met depends on the features of the individual case. The ethical problem appears to be a genuine dilemma where important values and arguments point to different conclusions. CONCLUSION Whether to restore airway patency when the airway is obstructed during initiation of palliative sedation will ultimately be based on clinical judgment taking into account both any known patient preferences and relevant clinical information. There are strong arguments favoring both options in this clinical and ethical dilemma. The fact that a clear and universal recommendation cannot be made does not imply indifference regarding what is the clinically and ethically best option for each individual patient.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olav Magnus S Fredheim
- Department of Palliative Medicine, Division of Surgery, Akershus University Hospital, Lørenskog, Norway
- Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Solveig K Torvund
- Department of Palliative Medicine, Division of Surgery, Akershus University Hospital, Lørenskog, Norway
| | - Lisbeth Thoresen
- Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Health and Society, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Morten Magelssen
- Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Health and Society, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
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Fredheim OM, Materstvedt LJ, Skulberg I, Magelssen M. Ought the level of sedation to be reduced during deep palliative sedation? A clinical and ethical analysis. BMJ Support Palliat Care 2024; 13:e984-e989. [PMID: 34686524 PMCID: PMC10850687 DOI: 10.1136/bmjspcare-2021-003081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2021] [Accepted: 09/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Deep palliative sedation (DPS) is applied as a response to refractory suffering at the end of life when symptoms cannot be relieved in an awake state. DPS entails a dilemma of whether to provide uninterrupted sedation-in which case DPS would turn into deep and continuous palliative sedation (DCPS) -to minimise the risk that any further intolerable suffering will occur or whether to pause sedation to avoid unnecessary sedation. DPS is problematic in that it leaves the patient 'socially dead' by eradicating their autonomy and conscious experiences. AIM To perform a normative ethical analysis of whether guidelines should recommend attempting to elevate consciousness during DPS. DESIGN A structured analysis based on the four principles of healthcare ethics and consideration of stakeholders' interests. RESULTS When DPS is initiated it reflects that symptom relief is valued above the patient's ability to exercise autonomy and experience social interaction. However, if a decrease in symptom burden occurs, waking could be performed without patients experiencing suffering. Such pausing of deep sedation would satisfy the principles of autonomy and beneficence. Certain patients require substantial dose increases to maintain sedation. Waking such patients risks causing distressing symptoms. This does not happen if deep sedation is kept uninterrupted. Thus, the principle of non-maleficence points towards not pausing sedation. The authors' clinical ethics analysis demonstrates why other stakeholders' interests do not appear to override arguments in favour of providing uninterrupted sedation. CONCLUSION Stopping or pausing DPS should always be considered, but should not be routinely attempted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olav Magnus Fredheim
- Department of Circulation and Medical Imaging, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway
- Department of Palliative Medicine, Akershus University Hospital, Lorenskog, Norway
- National Competence Centre for Complex Symptom Disorders, Department of Pain and Complex Disorders, St. Olavs Hospital, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Lars Johan Materstvedt
- Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies, Faculty of Humanities, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway
- Glasgow End of Life Studies Group, School of Interdisciplinary Studies, University of Glasgow, Dumfries Campus, Dumfries, Scotland, UK
| | - Ingeborg Skulberg
- Department of Palliative Medicine, Akershus University Hospital, Lorenskog, Norway
| | - Morten Magelssen
- Centre for Medical Ethics, Institute of Health and Society, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- MF Norwegian School of Theology, Religion and Society, Oslo, Norway
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Jonker LA, Heijltjes MT, Rietjens JAC, van der Heide A, Hendriksen G, van Delden JJM, van Thiel GJMW. Experiences and perceptions of continuous deep sedation: An interview study among Dutch patients and relatives. Health Expect 2023; 27:e13869. [PMID: 37822095 PMCID: PMC10726059 DOI: 10.1111/hex.13869] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2023] [Revised: 08/30/2023] [Accepted: 09/01/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The incidence of continuous deep sedation (CDS) has more than doubled over the last decade in The Netherlands, while reasons for this increase are not fully understood. Patients and relatives have an essential role in deciding on CDS. We hypothesize that the increase in CDS practice is related to the changing role of patients and relatives in deciding on CDS. OBJECTIVE To describe perceptions and experiences of patients and relatives with regard to CDS. This insight may help professionals and policymakers to better understand and respond to the evolving practice of CDS. METHODS Qualitative interviews were held with patients and relatives who had either personal experience with CDS as a relative or had contemplated CDS for themselves. RESULTS The vast majority of respondents appreciated CDS as a palliative care option, and none of the respondents reported (moral) objections to CDS. The majority of respondents prioritized avoiding suffering at the end of life. The patients and families generally considered CDS a palliative care option for which they can choose. Likewise, according to our respondents, the decision to start CDS was made by them, instead of the physician. Negative experiences with CDS care were mostly related to loss of sense of agency, due to insufficient communication or information provision by healthcare professionals. Lack of continuity of care was also a source of distress. We observed a variety in the respondents' understanding of the distinction between CDS and other end-of-life care decisions, including euthanasia. Some perceived CDS as hastening death. CONCLUSION The traditional view of CDS as a last resort option for a physician to relieve a patient's suffering at the end of life is not explicit among patients and relatives. Instead, our results show that they perceive CDS as a regular palliative care option. Along with this normalization of CDS, patients and relatives claim a substantial say in the decision-making and are mainly motivated by a wish to avoid suffering and exercise control at the end of life. These distinct views on CDS of patients, their relatives and healthcare providers should be reconciled in guidelines and protocols for CDS. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION One of the authors in our team (G. H.) has experience with CDS as a relative and ensured that the patient/relative viewpoint was adequately reflected in the design and conduct of our study. In the preliminary phase of our study, G. H. adjusted the topic list so it was better adapted to the current practice of CDS. During the data analysis, G. H. read several interviews and took part in the open and critical discussion on central themes and core concepts as an important member of the author team, thereby guaranteeing the central position of the patient/relative perspective in our final research outcome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louise Annemoon Jonker
- Department of Bioethics and Health Humanities, Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary CareUniversity Medical Center UtrechtUtrechtThe Netherlands
- Department of PediatricsDiakonessenhuis UtrechtUtrechtThe Netherlands
| | - Madelon T. Heijltjes
- Department of Bioethics and Health Humanities, Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary CareUniversity Medical Center UtrechtUtrechtThe Netherlands
| | - Judith A. C. Rietjens
- Department of Public Health, Erasmus Medical CenterErasmus UniversityRotterdamThe Netherlands
- Department of Design, Organization and Strategy, Faculty of Industrial Design EngineeringDelft University of TechnologyDelftThe Netherlands
| | - Agnes van der Heide
- Department of Public Health, Erasmus Medical CenterErasmus UniversityRotterdamThe Netherlands
| | - Geeske Hendriksen
- Department of Bioethics and Health Humanities, Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary CareUniversity Medical Center UtrechtUtrechtThe Netherlands
| | - Johannes J. M. van Delden
- Department of Bioethics and Health Humanities, Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary CareUniversity Medical Center UtrechtUtrechtThe Netherlands
| | - Ghislaine J. M. W. van Thiel
- Department of Bioethics and Health Humanities, Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary CareUniversity Medical Center UtrechtUtrechtThe Netherlands
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van Delden JJM, Heijltjes MT, Harwood RH. Should we all die asleep? The problem of the normalization of palliative sedation. Age Ageing 2023; 52:afad164. [PMID: 37603842 DOI: 10.1093/ageing/afad164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Palliative sedation is a medical intervention to manage distress in dying patients, by reducing consciousness when symptom-directed therapies fail. Continuous deep sedation is ethically sensitive because it may shorten life and completely prevents communication. But sedation short of this is also common. There has been a steady increase in the use of sedation over recent decades. Sedation may have become a means to die while sleeping, rather than a method of last resort to alleviate suffering. Sedation may be requested or expected by patients, families or staff. The need for sedation may be being interpreted more loosely. The acceptance of a 'tolerable amount of discomfort' may have lost ground to a desire to get the final phase over with quickly. Sedation is not always a bad thing. Medical care is otherwise unable to completely control all distressing symptoms in every patient. Sedation may result from other necessary symptom control drugs. Dying when sedated can be seen by as 'peaceful'. We feel it is necessary, however, to highlight three caveats: the need to manage expectations, the cost in terms of loss of communication, and the grey area between continuous deep sedation and euthanasia. We conclude that there may be good grounds for sedation in palliative care, and in some cases, continuous deep sedation may be used as a last resort. But the criteria of necessary and proportionate drug treatment should remain. The normalisation of sedation into dying while sleeping should be resisted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johannes J M van Delden
- Department of Bioethics and Health Humanities, UMC Utrecht, Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, PO Box 85500, 3508 GA Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Madelon T Heijltjes
- Department of Bioethics and Health Humanities, UMC Utrecht, Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, PO Box 85500, 3508 GA Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Rowan H Harwood
- Queens Medical Centre, School of Health Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2HA, UK
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Heino L, Stolt M, Haavisto E. The practices of nurses about palliative sedation on palliative care wards: A qualitative study. J Adv Nurs 2022; 78:3733-3744. [PMID: 35774002 PMCID: PMC9796790 DOI: 10.1111/jan.15350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2021] [Revised: 05/02/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
AIM To describe the practices of nurses concerning palliative sedation in palliative care wards in hospitals. DESIGN Qualitative descriptive design. METHODS A total of 27 nurses were interviewed in six focus groups and one pair interview; the nurses worked on four palliative care wards in three Finnish hospitals and the interviews took place between May and November 2019. The data were analysed using inductive content analysis. The COREQ checklist was used as a guide for reporting this study. FINDINGS Three main categories describing nurses' practices concerning palliative sedation were identified: participation in palliative sedation decision-making, sedation implementation and monitoring and information sharing and compassionate care for the patient and relatives. CONCLUSIONS Nurses play a key role throughout palliative sedation on palliative care wards in hospitals. To develop the quality of care, it is recommended to specify the role of nurses in palliative sedation, increase cooperation between nurses and physicians, and enhance palliative sedation education for nurses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linda Heino
- Department of Nursing ScienceUniversity of TurkuTurkuFinland
| | - Minna Stolt
- Department of Nursing ScienceUniversity of Turku, Turku University HospitalTurkuFinland
| | - Elina Haavisto
- Department of Nursing ScienceUniversity of TurkuTurkuFinland,Department of Health SciencesTampere University, Tampere University HospitalTampereFinland,Satakunta Hospital DistrictPoriFinland
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Kwon S, Kim M, Choi S. Ethical dilemmas and care actions in nurses providing palliative sedation. Nurs Ethics 2022; 29:1220-1230. [PMID: 35728273 DOI: 10.1177/09697330221105639] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recently, palliative care is increasingly important, with an emphasis on the process of dying with dignity. However, nurses who care for such patients experience the associated ethical dilemmas. OBJECTIVE To explore the meaning of nurses' experiences in dealing with ethical dilemmas in relation to palliative sedation. RESEARCH DESIGN A qualitative research design was employed with a thematic analysis approach. PARTICIPANTS AND RESEARCH CONTEXT Using purposive sampling, 15 nurses, working at palliative care units for at least 1 year, were recruited as participants. Data were collected using unstructured in-depth interviews, and data collection and analysis was performed simultaneously. ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS Ethical approval was obtained from the authors' institutional review board. All participants provided informed consent. For the face-to-face interview, the South Korean standard COVID-19 quarantine guidelines, such as mandatory masking and social distancing, were followed. RESULTS Dilemmas raised by patients, were related to concerns about appropriate drug dose; dilemmas raised by nurses, were related to passive care, sense of guilt for failure to predict death, and colleague's disrespectful attitudes toward patients; dilemmas from patients' families were related to demands for palliative sedation and reversal of those demands. Care actions to deal with ethical dilemmas comprised evidence-based care, person-centered thinking, reflecting on the death situation, compassion, providing explanation and help to family members. CONCLUSION Nurses' ethical dilemmas were pre-dominantly influenced by themselves, rather than by the patients or their families, especially if they felt they could not do their best for patients. The core concept of care actions to deal with the ethical dilemmas, was person-centered care and compassion. Then, how patients and their family members perceive person-centered care and compassion, should be further explored to improve palliative sedation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sinyoung Kwon
- Department of Nursing, 250458Gangdong University, Eumseong-gun, Chungcheongbuk-do, Korea
| | | | - Sujin Choi
- 35031Woosuk University, Wanju, Jeollabuk-do, Korea
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Grüne B, Meesters S, Bausewein C, Schildmann E. Challenges and Strategies Regarding Sedation at the End of Life in Hospitals and Nursing Homes. J Pain Symptom Manage 2022; 63:530-538. [PMID: 34921935 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2021.12.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2021] [Revised: 11/26/2021] [Accepted: 12/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
CONTEXT Sedation is an accepted, but controversially discussed and challenging measure to treat suffering at the end of life. Although most people die in hospitals or nursing homes, little is known how professionals in these settings deal with sedatives and sedation at the end of life. OBJECTIVES To explore 1) challenges regarding use of sedatives and sedation at the end of life in hospitals and nursing homes, and 2) strategies, and supportive measures to meet these challenges, as perceived by nurses and physicians. METHODS Multicenter qualitative interview study. Forty-nine participants: 12 general practitioners and 12 nurses from five nursing homes, 12 physicians, and 13 nurses from five hospital departments (hematology/oncology (n = 2), neurology, geriatrics, gynecology). Semi-structured qualitative interviews. Data analysis guided by framework approach. RESULTS Perceived challenges relate to three levels of the care situation: individual, interaction with others, and work environment. The main challenge was defining the adequate timing and/or dose. Other challenges, e.g., disagreements regarding indication or legal uncertainties, were highly interrelated, and strongly associated with this major challenge. Reported strategies and supportive measures to address challenges also corresponded to the three interrelated levels. Major named strategies were education and training, joint decision-making within the team and regular discussion with the patient and family. On the level work environment, no implemented strategies, but wishes for change were identified. CONCLUSION To meet the identified challenges in a sustainable way and enable continuous improvement of quality of care, best practice recommendations, and other supportive measures have to address all identified levels of challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bettina Grüne
- Department of Palliative Medicine (B.G., S.M., C.B., E.S.), University Hospital, LMU Munich, Germany; German Youth Institute (DJI), Department of Youth and Youth Services (B.G.), Munich, Germany.
| | - Sophie Meesters
- Department of Palliative Medicine (B.G., S.M., C.B., E.S.), University Hospital, LMU Munich, Germany
| | - Claudia Bausewein
- Department of Palliative Medicine (B.G., S.M., C.B., E.S.), University Hospital, LMU Munich, Germany
| | - Eva Schildmann
- Department of Palliative Medicine (B.G., S.M., C.B., E.S.), University Hospital, LMU Munich, Germany
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Family experience of palliative sedation therapy: proportional vs. continuous deep sedation. Support Care Cancer 2022; 30:3903-3915. [PMID: 35039967 DOI: 10.1007/s00520-021-06745-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2021] [Accepted: 12/07/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Some patients experience intense symptoms refractory to intensive palliative care, and palliative sedation is sometimes used. Palliative sedation may be classified into proportional and continuous deep sedation (CDS). The primary aim of this study was to compare family experience between families of patients who received proportional or CDS. METHODS A multicenter questionnaire survey was conducted involving bereaved families of cancer patients who received proportional or CDS based on a sedation protocol. Overall evaluation of sedation (satisfaction, family-perceived distress, appropriateness of timing, and patient distress) and 13-item family concerns, good death, satisfaction with care, depression, quality of care, unfinished business, and balance between symptom relief and maintaining communication were measured. RESULTS Among the 2120 patients who died, 222 patients received a continuous infusion of midazolam. A sedation protocol was used in 147 patients, and questionnaires were sent to 124 families. A total of 78 responses were finally returned (proportional, 58 vs. CDS, 20). There were no significant differences in the overall evaluation, family concerns, total score of good death, satisfaction, depression, or balance between symptom relief and maintaining communication. On the other hand, some quality of care items, i.e., relationship with medical staff (P < 0.01), physical care by nurses (P = 0.04), and coordination and consistency (P = 0.04), were significantly better in the CDS group than in the proportional sedation group. Family-reported unfinished business was also better in the CDS group, with marginal significance. CONCLUSIONS Family experience of CDS was not less favorable than proportional sedation, and actually rated more favorably for some elements of quality of care and unfinished business.
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Peyrat-Apicella D, Chemrouk Y. Sédation profonde et continue jusqu’au décès : qu’en vivent les soignants ? PSYCHO-ONCOLOGIE 2022. [DOI: 10.3166/pson-2022-0214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Objectif : La récente loi Claeys-Leonetti de 2016 reconnaît le droit du patient à une sédation profonde et continue jusqu’au décès (SPCJD) si ce dernier en fait la demande. Au quotidien, comment les équipes soignantes s’approprient cette nouvelle possibilité et s’adaptent à ces situations de fin de vie spécifiques ?
Méthode : Nous avons mené des entretiens semi-directifs avec six soignants volontaires de chaque corps de métier (deux médecins, deux infirmier.ère.s et deux aides-soignantes) dans un service d’oncologie médicale et de radiothérapie. Les entretiens ont été analysés selon une méthode d’analyse de contenu thématique, afin de rendre compte du vécu des professionnels de soins face aux protocoles de SPCJD et aux conséquences sur les accompagnements de fin de vie dans ces circonstances.
Résultats : Cette enquête exploratoire met en évidence des disparités interprofessionnelles quant au vécu des accompagnements de patients sous SPCJD. L’hétérogénéité des représentations semble liée à une méconnaissance de la loi, à des acceptions variables, mais aussi à des intentions différentes en fonction des fonctions exercées. La continuité dans la prise en charge des patients est affectée : le seul point commun observé chez tous les professionnels concerne les difficultés décrites dans l’accompagnement des familles.
Conclusion : La loi Claeys-Leonetti, ayant pour objectif de donner davantage de droits aux patients, pose des enjeux éthiques et des difficultés aux soignants encore trop peu investigués à ce jour. Il semble fondamental de tenir compte de l’effet de cette procédure sur le vécu des professionnels, afin que la mise en place des protocoles soit accompagnée et pensée au mieux, dans le but de limiter les potentielles difficultés et souffrances relatives à la SPCJD.
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Heino L, Stolt M, Haavisto E. The practices and attitudes of nurses regarding palliative sedation: A scoping review. Int J Nurs Stud 2020; 117:103859. [PMID: 33545642 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2020.103859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2020] [Revised: 10/12/2020] [Accepted: 12/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Palliative sedation is used as a last-resort option to treat refractory symptoms of dying patients. Nurses are important participants in the process of sedation. However, little is known about palliative sedation from a nursing perspective. OBJECTIVES To analyze the practices and attitudes of nurses concerning palliative sedation. DATA SOURCES AND REVIEW METHODS A scoping review guided by Arksey and O`Malley`s methodological framework was used to analyze existing peer-reviewed empirical research on the topic of the practices and attitudes of nurses related to the palliative sedation of patients aged 18 years and older. Of the 316 publications identified from the PubMed, CINAHL and Cochrane Library, 17 full-text articles were included in this review. The data of the included articles were charted (author(s), year of publication, country, objectives, study design, data collection, setting, respondents, definition of palliative sedation, focus of the study and key findings), and the results were summarized with inductive content analysis. The PRISMA-ScR checklist was used as a guideline for the reporting in this review. RESULTS During the decision-making concerning the start of palliative sedation, nurses usually have an advocatory and supportive role, although the role varies between different countries. This role then changes to a relatively independent performance of sedation; including administration of the medication, monitoring the effectiveness of sedation, and in some cases taking decisions concerning the medication and dosage policy. Further, nurses provide information and compassionate care to both the patient and the family during the process of palliative sedation. Most nurses view palliative sedation as a positive and sometimes necessary last resort therapy to relieve refractory suffering of dying patients. However, sedation poses ethical problems for many nurses. These problems especially concern the essential elements of deciding to use palliative sedation, the depth of sedation, the potential for shortening life, and the loss of social interaction. CONCLUSIONS Nurses play a key role in palliative sedation, as they often perform sedation independently and have important information about the needs and wishes of both patients and their families due to their unique position at the bedside of the patient. Although nurses generally see palliative sedation as a positive practice for selected patients, many of them feel it is ethically controversial. This scoping review reveals a great need for further research and discussion on the practices and attitudes of nurses regarding palliative sedation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linda Heino
- Bachelor of Health Sciences, Department of Nursing Science, University of Turku, Turku, Finland.
| | - Minna Stolt
- Department of Nursing Science, University of Turku, Turku and Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland
| | - Elina Haavisto
- Department of Nursing Science, University of Turku, Turku and Satakunta Central Hospital, Pori, Finland
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Robijn L, Deliens L, Rietjens J, Pype P, Chambaere K. Barriers in the Decision Making About and Performance of Continuous Sedation Until Death in Nursing Homes. THE GERONTOLOGIST 2020; 60:916-925. [PMID: 31850500 DOI: 10.1093/geront/gnz165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES While decision making about and performance of continuous sedation involve many challenges, they appear to be particularly pervasive in nursing homes. This study aims to identify barriers to the decision making and performance of continuous sedation until death in Flemish nursing homes as experienced by the health care professionals involved. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Ten focus groups were held with 71 health care professionals including 16 palliative care physicians, 42 general practitioners, and 13 nursing home staff. Discussions were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using a constant comparative approach. RESULTS Perceived barriers concerned factors prior to and during sedation and were classified according to three types: (a) personal barriers related to knowledge and skills including the lack of clarity on what continuous sedation should be used for (linguistic ambiguity) and when and how it should be used (practical ambiguity); (b) relational barriers concerning communication and collaboration both between health care professionals and with family; (c) organizational barriers related to the organization of care in nursing homes where, for example, there is no on-site physician, or where the recommended medication is not always available. DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS The findings suggest there are considerable challenges for sound decision making about and performance of continuous sedation until death in nursing homes. There is a need for multicomponent initiatives that provide guidance in the context of the complexity of a resident's medical situation, the family, and the specific organization of care, which would have the potential to facilitate and improve the decision-making process and performance of continuous sedation in nursing homes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lenzo Robijn
- End-of-life Care Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) and Ghent University, Belgium.,Department of Family Medicine and Chronic Care, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Belgium.,Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Ghent University, Belgium
| | - Luc Deliens
- End-of-life Care Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) and Ghent University, Belgium.,Department of Family Medicine and Chronic Care, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Belgium.,Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Ghent University, Belgium
| | - Judith Rietjens
- Department of Public Health, Erasmus University Medical Centre (Erasmus MC), Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Peter Pype
- End-of-life Care Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) and Ghent University, Belgium.,Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Ghent University, Belgium
| | - Kenneth Chambaere
- End-of-life Care Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) and Ghent University, Belgium.,Department of Family Medicine and Chronic Care, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Belgium.,Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Ghent University, Belgium
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Six S, Van Overmeire R, Bilsen J, Laureys S, Poelaert J, Theuns P, Deschepper R. Attitudes of Professional Caregivers and Family Members Regarding the Use of Monitoring Devices to Improve Assessments of Pain and Discomfort During Continuous Sedation Until Death. J Pain Symptom Manage 2020; 60:390-399. [PMID: 32105791 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2020.02.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2019] [Revised: 02/14/2020] [Accepted: 02/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
CONTEXT Assessing consciousness and pain during continuous sedation until death (CSD) by behavior-based observational scales alone has recently been put into question. Instead, the use of monitoring technology has been suggested to make more objective and reliable assessments. Insights into which factors influence attitudes toward using these monitoring devices in a context of CSD is a first step in formulating recommendations to inform future practice. OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to find out what influences professional caregivers' and family members' (FMs) attitudes regarding the use of monitors during CSD. METHODS We conducted semistructured face-to-face interviews with 20 professional caregivers and 15 FMs, who cared for a patient or had an FM, respectively, who took part in a study using monitoring devices. Recruitment took place in an academic hospital, a locoregional hospital, and two nursing homes, all located in Belgium. Two researchers independently analyzed the data, using grounded theory to inductively develop a model that represents the emerging attitude toward use of monitors during CSD. RESULTS Our model shows that the emerging attitudes toward using monitors during CSD is determined by view on CSD, desire for peace of mind, emotional valence attached to using monitors, and the realization that the sole use of behavior-based observational measures could be unreliable in a CSD context. We identified several facilitators and barriers to inform future implementation strategies. CONCLUSION Most participants had no objections, and all participants found the use of monitoring devices during CSD feasible and acceptable. We identified a number of facilitators and barriers and suggested that being aware that care can be improved, good communication, shared decision making, and continuing professional education can overcome the identified barriers. We suggest future research would focus on developing implementation strategies and guidelines for introducing objective monitoring devices in diverse palliative care settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefaan Six
- Department of Public Health, Mental Health and Wellbeing Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussel, Belgium; Cyclotron Research Centre and Neurology Department, Coma Science Group, University and University Hospital of Liège, Liège, Belgium.
| | - Roel Van Overmeire
- Department of Public Health, Mental Health and Wellbeing Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussel, Belgium
| | - Johan Bilsen
- Department of Public Health, Mental Health and Wellbeing Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussel, Belgium
| | - Steven Laureys
- Cyclotron Research Centre and Neurology Department, Coma Science Group, University and University Hospital of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Jan Poelaert
- Department of Anesthesiology & Perioperative Medicine, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussel, Belgium
| | - Peter Theuns
- Department of Public Health, Mental Health and Wellbeing Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussel, Belgium
| | - Reginald Deschepper
- Department of Public Health, Mental Health and Wellbeing Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussel, Belgium
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Díez-Manglano J, Isasi de Isasmendi Pérez S, García Fenoll R, Sánchez LÁ, Formiga F, Giner Galvañ V, Dueñas C, Roca B, Estrada Díaz C, Casariego Vales E. Palliative Sedation in Patients Hospitalized in Internal Medicine Departments. J Pain Symptom Manage 2020; 59:302-309. [PMID: 31655190 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2019.10.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2019] [Revised: 10/09/2019] [Accepted: 10/10/2019] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
CONTEXT Palliative sedation is used to relieve end-of-life refractory symptoms. OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to describe the use of palliative sedation in patients who die in internal medicine departments. METHODS An observational, cross-sectional, retrospective, and multicenter clinical audit study was conducted in 145 hospitals in Spain and Argentina. Each hospital included the first 10 patients who died in the internal medicine department, starting on December 1, 2015. RESULTS We included 1447 patients, and palliative sedation was administered to 701 patients (48.4%). Having a terminal illness (odds ratio [OR] 2.469, 95% CI 1.971-3.093, P < 0.001) and the length of hospital stay (OR 1.011, 95% CI 1.002-1.021, P = 0.017) were independently associated with the use of palliative sedation. Consent was granted by the families of 582 (83%) patients. The most common refractory symptom was dyspnea, and the most commonly used drugs for sedation were midazolam (77%) and morphine (89.7%). An induction dose was administered in 25.7% of the patients. Rescue doses were scheduled for 70% of the patients, and hydration was maintained in 49.5%. Pain was more common in patients with cancer, whereas dyspnea was more common in those without cancer. Rescue doses were used more often for the patients with cancer (77.8% vs. 67.7%, P = 0.015). Monitoring the palliative sedation with a scale was more frequent in the patients with cancer (23.7% vs. 14.3%, P = 0.008). CONCLUSIONS Palliative sedation is used more often for terminal patients. There are differences in the administration of palliative sedation between patients with and without cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Luis Ángel Sánchez
- Internal Medicine Department, Hospital Clínico Universitario, Valladolid, Spain
| | - Françesc Formiga
- Internal Medicine Department, Hospital Universitari de Bellvitge, IDIBELL, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain
| | | | - Carlos Dueñas
- Internal Medicine Department, Hospital Clínico Universitario, Valladolid, Spain
| | - Bernardino Roca
- Internal Medicine Department, Hospital General Universitario, Castellón, Spain
| | - Cristina Estrada Díaz
- Internal Medicine Department, Hospital Universitario Mutua de Tarrassa, Tarrassa, Spain
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Loizeau AJ, Cohen SM, Mitchell SL, Theill N, Eicher S, Martin M, Riese F. Physician and Surrogate Agreement with Assisted Dying and Continuous Deep Sedation in Advanced Dementia in Switzerland. NEURODEGENER DIS 2019; 19:4-11. [PMID: 31013507 PMCID: PMC6692213 DOI: 10.1159/000499113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2018] [Accepted: 02/18/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Assisted dying and continuous deep sedation (CDS) are controversial practices. Little is known about the perceptions of physicians and surrogates about these practices for patients with advanced dementia. OBJECTIVES To describe and compare physician and surrogate agreement with the use of assisted dying and CDS in advanced dementia. DESIGN, SETTING, SUBJECTS Physicians (n = 64) and surrogates (n = 168) of persons with advanced dementia were recruited as part of a randomized controlled trial in Switzerland that tested decision support tools in this population. METHODS At baseline, the participants were asked about their agreement with assisted dying and CDS in advanced dementia using the following response options: "completely agree," "somewhat agree," "somewhat disagree," "completely disagree," and "do not know." Multivariable logistic regressions compared the likelihood that surrogates versus physicians would completely or somewhat agree (vs. completely or somewhat disagree) with these practices. RESULTS The physicians and surrogates, respectively, had a mean age (SD) of 50.6 years (9.9) and 57.4 years (14.6); 46.9% (n = 30/64) and 68.9% (n = 115/167) were women. A total of 20.3% (n = 13/64) of the physicians and 47.0% (n = 79/168) of the surrogates agreed with assisted dying in advanced dementia. Surrogates were significantly more likely to agree with this practice than physicians (adjusted odds ratio, 3.87; 95% CI: 1.94, 7.69). With regard to CDS, 51.6% (n = 33/64) of the physicians and 41.9% (n = 70/169) of the surrogates agreed with this practice, which did not differ significantly between the groups. CONCLUSIONS The surrogates were more agreeable to considering assisted dying in the setting of advanced dementia than the physicians, and about half of the participants in both groups reported CDS to be an appropriate option for this population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Jutta Loizeau
- University Research Priority Program "Dynamics of Healthy Aging," University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland,
- Center for Gerontology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland,
- Hebrew SeniorLife Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research, Boston, Massachusetts, USA,
| | - Simon M Cohen
- Hebrew SeniorLife Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Susan L Mitchell
- Hebrew SeniorLife Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Nathan Theill
- University Research Priority Program "Dynamics of Healthy Aging," University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Center for Gerontology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Division of Psychiatry Research and Psychogeriatric Medicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Stefanie Eicher
- University Research Priority Program "Dynamics of Healthy Aging," University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Center for Gerontology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Mike Martin
- University Research Priority Program "Dynamics of Healthy Aging," University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Center for Gerontology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Psychology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Florian Riese
- University Research Priority Program "Dynamics of Healthy Aging," University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Division of Psychiatry Research and Psychogeriatric Medicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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15
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Shen HS, Chen SY, Cheung DST, Wang SY, Lee JJ, Lin CC. Differential Family Experience of Palliative Sedation Therapy in Specialized Palliative or Critical Care Units. J Pain Symptom Manage 2018; 55:1531-1539. [PMID: 29474938 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2018.02.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2017] [Revised: 02/08/2018] [Accepted: 02/11/2018] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
CONTEXT No study has examined the varying family experience of palliative sedation therapy (PST) for terminally ill patients in different settings. OBJECTIVES To examine and compare family concerns about PST use and its effect on the grief suffered by terminally ill patients' families in palliative care units (PCUs) or intensive care units (ICUs). METHODS A total of 154 family members of such patients were recruited in Taiwan, of whom 143 completed the study, with 81 from the PCU and 62 from the ICU. Data were collected on their concerns regarding PST during recruitment. Grief levels were assessed at three days and one month after the patient's death with the Texas Revised Inventory of Grief. RESULTS Families' major concern about sedated patients in the PCU was that "there might be other ways to relieve symptoms" (90.2%), whereas families of ICU sedated patients gave the highest ratings to "feeling they still had something more to do" (93.55%), and "the patient's sleeping condition was not dignified" (93.55%). Family members recruited from the ICU tended to experience more grief than those from the PCU (P = 0.005 at Day 3 and < 0.001 at Month 1). PST use predicted higher levels of grief in family members recruited from the PCU (P < 0.001 at Day 3 and Month 1). CONCLUSION Family experiences with the use of PST in terminally ill patients varied in different settings. Supportive care should address family concerns about PST use, and regular attention should be paid to the grief of individuals at higher risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui-Shan Shen
- School of Nursing, College of Nursing, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Nursing, Hsinchu Mackay Memorial Hospital, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - Szu-Yin Chen
- School of Nursing, College of Nursing, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan; Respiratory Care Center, Shin Kong Wu Ho-Su Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Denise Shuk Ting Cheung
- School of Nursing, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong
| | - Shu-Yi Wang
- Loretto Heights School of Nursing, Regis University, Denver, Colorado, USA
| | - Jung Jae Lee
- School of Nursing, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong
| | - Chia-Chin Lin
- School of Nursing, College of Nursing, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan; School of Nursing, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong; Alice Ho Miu Ling Nethersole Charity Foundation Professor in Nursing, Hong Kong.
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16
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Rodrigues P, Crokaert J, Gastmans C. Palliative Sedation for Existential Suffering: A Systematic Review of Argument-Based Ethics Literature. J Pain Symptom Manage 2018; 55:1577-1590. [PMID: 29382541 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2018.01.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2017] [Revised: 01/18/2018] [Accepted: 01/19/2018] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
CONTEXT Although unanimity exists on using palliative sedation (PS) for controlling refractory physical suffering in end-of-life situations, using it for controlling refractory existential suffering (PS-ES) is controversial. Complicating the debate is that definitions and terminology for existential suffering are unclear, ambiguous, and imprecise, leading to a lack of consensus for clinical practice. OBJECTIVES To systematically identify, describe, analyze, and discuss ethical arguments and concepts underpinning the argument-based bioethics literature on PS-ES. METHODS We conducted a systematic search of the argument-based bioethics literature in PubMed, CINAHL, Embase®, The Philosopher's Index, PsycINFO®, PsycARTICLES®, Scopus, ScienceDirect, Web of Science, Pascal-Francis, and Cairn. We included articles published in peer-reviewed journals till December 31, 2016, written in English or French, which focused on ethical arguments related to PS-ES. We used Peer Review of Electronic Search Strategies protocol, Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses, and The Qualitative Analysis Guide of Leuven for data extraction and synthesis of themes. RESULTS We identified 18 articles that met the inclusion criteria. Our analysis revealed mind-body dualism, existential suffering, refractoriness, terminal condition, and imminent death as relevant concepts in the ethical debate on PS-ES. The ethical principles of double effect, proportionality, and the four principles of biomedical ethics were used in argumentations in the PS-ES debate. CONCLUSION There is a clear need to better define the terminology used in discussions of PS-ES and to ground ethical arguments in a more effective way. Anthropological presuppositions such as mind-body dualism underpin the debate and need to be more clearly elucidated using an interdisciplinary approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paulo Rodrigues
- Université Catholique de Lille, ETHICS EA7446, Centre for Medical Ethics, Lille, France; Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Centre for Biomedical Ethics and Law, Faculty of Medicine, Leuven, Belgium; Université Catholique de Louvain, Research Institute Religions, Spirituality, Cultures, Societies (RSCS), Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium.
| | - Jasper Crokaert
- Université Catholique de Louvain, Faculty of Medicine, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Chris Gastmans
- Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Centre for Biomedical Ethics and Law, Faculty of Medicine, Leuven, Belgium
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17
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Palliative sedation in advanced cancer patients hospitalized in a specialized palliative care unit. Support Care Cancer 2018; 26:3173-3180. [DOI: 10.1007/s00520-018-4164-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2017] [Accepted: 03/12/2018] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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18
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19
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Eun Y, Hong IW, Bruera E, Kang JH. Qualitative Study on the Perceptions of Terminally Ill Cancer Patients and Their Family Members Regarding End-of-Life Experiences Focusing on Palliative Sedation. J Pain Symptom Manage 2017; 53:1010-1016. [PMID: 28192224 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2016.12.353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2016] [Revised: 10/23/2016] [Accepted: 12/29/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
CONTEXT Patients with terminal cancer experience refractory symptoms in the last days of life. Although palliative sedation (PS) is recommended for patients suffering unbearable symptoms with imminent death, it requires clear communication between physicians and patients/caregivers. Understanding the demands and perceptions of patients and caregivers in the end-of-life phase are needed for effective communication. OBJECTIVE To explore patient experiences regarding end-of-life status and PS. METHODS The study was performed between October and December, 2013 with eligible terminal cancer patients and their families in a non-religious, tertiary healthcare facility in Korea. Eligibility criteria were a hospitalized cancer patient with a life expectancy of less than three months and who had never experienced PS. Data were collected via face-to-face in-depth interviews and analyzed using the constant comparative method of qualitative analysis. Saturation was achieved after conducting interviews with 13 patients or care-giving family members. RESULTS Enrolled patients raised the following issues: 1) simultaneously harboring the hope of prolonging life and wishing for a peaceful death, 2) experiencing difficulties in having honest conversations with caregivers regarding death, 3) possessing insufficient knowledge and information regarding PS, and 4) hoping for the decision on PS to be made before suffering becomes too great. CONCLUSION Terminally ill cancer patients and their caregivers expressed conflicting desires in hoping to prolong life and simultaneously wishing to experience a peaceful death. Improvements in the communications that occur among physicians, patients, and caregivers on the issues of prognosis and PS are needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Young Eun
- College of Nursing, Institute of Health Sciences, Gyeongsang National University, Korea
| | - In-Wha Hong
- Department of Nursing, Gyeongnam Provincial Geochang College, Korea
| | - Eduardo Bruera
- Department of Palliative Care and Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jung Hun Kang
- Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Institute of Health Sciences, Gyeongsang National University, Korea.
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20
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Abarshi E, Rietjens J, Robijn L, Caraceni A, Payne S, Deliens L, Van den Block L. International variations in clinical practice guidelines for palliative sedation: a systematic review. BMJ Support Palliat Care 2017; 7:223-229. [PMID: 28432090 DOI: 10.1136/bmjspcare-2016-001159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2016] [Revised: 01/09/2017] [Accepted: 04/01/2017] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Palliative sedation is a highly debated medical practice, particularly regarding its proper use in end-of-life care. Worldwide, guidelines are used to standardise care and regulate this practice. In this review, we identify and compare national/regional clinical practice guidelines on palliative sedation against the European Association for Palliative Care (EAPC) palliative sedation Framework and assess the developmental quality of these guidelines using the Appraisal Guideline Research and Evaluation (AGREE II) instrument. METHODS Using the PRISMA criteria, we searched multiple databases (PubMed, CancerLit, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, NHS Evidence and Google Scholar) for relevant guidelines, and selected those written in English, Dutch and Italian; published between January 2000 and March 2016. RESULTS Of 264 hits, 13 guidelines-Belgium, Canada (3), Ireland, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Europe, and USA (2) were selected. 8 contained at least 9/10 recommendations published in the EAPC Framework; 9 recommended 'pre-emptive discussion of the potential role of sedation in end-of-life care'; 9 recommended 'nutrition/hydration while performing sedation' and 8 acknowledged the need to 'care for the medical team'. There were striking differences in terminologies used and in life expectancy preceding the practice. Selected guidelines were conceptually similar, comparing closely to the EAPC Framework recommendations, albeit with notable variations. CONCLUSIONS Based on AGREE II, 3 guidelines achieved top scores and could therefore be recommended for use in this context. Also, domains 'scope and purpose' and 'editorial independence' ranked highest and lowest, respectively-underscoring the importance of good reportage at the developmental stage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ebun Abarshi
- International Observatory on End-of-Life Care, Lancaster, United Kingdom
| | - Judith Rietjens
- Department of Public Health, Erasmus Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.,End-of-Life Care Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) & Ghent University, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Lenzo Robijn
- End-of-Life Care Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) & Ghent University, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Augusto Caraceni
- Fondazione IRCCS Instituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milan, Italy.,European Palliative Care Research Center, Norwegian University of Science and Technology Trondheim Norway, EAPC Research Network
| | - Sheila Payne
- International Observatory on End-of-Life Care, Lancaster, United Kingdom
| | - Luc Deliens
- End-of-Life Care Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) & Ghent University, Brussels, Belgium.,Department of Medical Oncology, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Lieve Van den Block
- End-of-Life Care Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) & Ghent University, Brussels, Belgium.,Department of Family Medicine and Chronic Care, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, Belgium
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21
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Berger JT. The Limits of Surrogates’ Moral Authority and Physician Professionalism:Can the Paradigm of Palliative Sedation Be Instructive? Hastings Cent Rep 2017; 47:20-23. [DOI: 10.1002/hast.665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
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22
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Campos-Calderón C, Montoya-Juárez R, Hueso-Montoro C, Hernández-López E, Ojeda-Virto F, García-Caro MP. Interventions and decision-making at the end of life: the effect of establishing the terminal illness situation. BMC Palliat Care 2016; 15:91. [PMID: 27821105 PMCID: PMC5100335 DOI: 10.1186/s12904-016-0162-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2015] [Accepted: 10/26/2016] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Many ‘routine’ interventions performed in hospital rooms have repercussions for the comfort of the patient, and the decision to perform them should depend on whether the patient is identified as in a terminal phase. The aim of this study is to analyse the health interventions performed and decisions made in the last days of life in patients with advanced oncological and non-oncological illness to ascertain whether identifying the patient’s terminal illness situation has any effect on these decisions. Methods Retrospective study of the clinical histories of deceased patients in four hospitals in Granada (Spain) in 2010. Clinical histories corresponding to the last three months of the patient’s life were reviewed. Results A total of 202 clinical histories were reviewed, 60 % of which were those of non-oncology patients. Opioid prescriptions (58.4 %), palliative sedation (35.1 %) and Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) orders (34.7 %) were the decisions most often reflected in the histories, and differences in these decisions were found between patients registered as terminal and those who were not registered as terminal. The most frequent interventions in the final 14 days and 48 h were parenteral hydration (96–83 %), peripheral venous catheter (90.1–82 %) and oxygen therapy (81.2–70.5 %). There were statistically significant differences between the patients who were registered as terminal and those not registered as terminal in the number of interventions applied in the final 14 days and 48 h (p = 0.01–p = 0.00) and in many of the described treatments. Conclusion The recognition of a patient’s terminal status in the clinical history conditions the decisions that are made and is generally associated with a lower number of interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Campos-Calderón
- Foundation of Progress and Health, Andalusian Health Service, Granada, Spain
| | | | | | - E Hernández-López
- General Hospital of the Virgen de las Nieves of Granada, Andalusian Health Service, Granada, Spain
| | - F Ojeda-Virto
- Hospital Santa Ana, Andalusian Health Service, Motril, Spain
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23
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Tursunov O, Cherny NI, Ganz FD. Experiences of Family Members of Dying Patients Receiving Palliative Sedation. Oncol Nurs Forum 2016; 43:E226-E232. [PMID: 27768142 DOI: 10.1188/16.onf.e226-e232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES To describe the experience of family members of patients receiving palliative sedation at the initiation of treatment and after the patient has died and to compare these experiences over time.
. DESIGN Descriptive comparative study.
. SETTING Oncology ward at Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem, Israel.
. SAMPLE A convenience sample of 34 family members of dying patients receiving palliative sedation.
. METHODS A modified version of a questionnaire describing experiences of family members with palliative sedation was administered during palliative sedation and one to four months after the patient died. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the results of the questionnaire, and appropriate statistical analyses were conducted for comparisons over time.
. MAIN RESEARCH VARIABLES Experiences of family members and time.
. FINDINGS Most relatives were satisfied with the sedation and staff support. Palliative sedation was experienced as an ethical way to relieve suffering. However, one-third felt that it shortened the patient's life. An explanation of the treatment was given less than half of the time and was usually given on the same day treatment was started. This explanation was given by physicians and nurses. Many felt that they were not ready for changes in the patient's condition and wanted increased opportunities to discuss the treatment with oncology care providers. No statistically significant differences in experiences were found over time.
. CONCLUSIONS Relatives' experiences of palliative sedation were generally positive and stable over time. Important experiences included timing of the initiation of sedation, timing and quality of explanations, and communication.
. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING Nurses should attempt to initiate discussions of the possible role of sedation in the event of refractory symptoms and follow through with continued discussions. The management of refractory symptoms at the end of life, the role of sedation, and communication skills associated with decision making related to palliative sedation should be a part of the core nursing curriculum. Nursing administrators in areas that use palliative sedation should enforce good nursing clinical practice as recommended by international practice guidelines, such as those of the European Association for Palliative Care.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Freda DeKeyser Ganz
- Director of the clinical masters program, Henrietta Szold Hadassah Medical Organization, Jerusalem, Israel
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24
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A systematic literature review on the ethics of palliative sedation: an update (2016). Curr Opin Support Palliat Care 2016; 10:201-7. [DOI: 10.1097/spc.0000000000000224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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Cripe LD, Perkins SM, Cottingham A, Tong Y, Kozak MA, Mehta R. Physicians in Postgraduate Training Characteristics and Support of Palliative Sedation for Existential Distress. Am J Hosp Palliat Care 2016; 34:697-703. [PMID: 27432319 DOI: 10.1177/1049909116660516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Palliative sedation for refractory existential distress (PS-ED) is ethically troubling but potentially critical to quality end-of-life (EOL) care. Physicians' in postgraduate training support toward PS-ED is unknown nor is it known how empathy, hope, optimism, or intrinsic religious motivation (IRM) affect their support. These knowledge gaps hinder efforts to support physicians who struggle with patients' EOL care preferences. METHODS One hundred thirty-four postgraduate physicians rated their support of PS for refractory physical pain (PS-PP) or PS-ED, ranked the importance of patient preferences in ethically challenging situations, and completed measures of empathy, hope, optimism, and IRM. Predictors of PS-ED and PS-PP support were examined using binary and multinomial logistic regression. RESULTS Only 22.7% of residents were very supportive of PS-ED, and 82.0% were very supportive of PS-PP. Support for PS-PP or PS-ED did not correlate with levels of empathy, hope, optimism, or IRM; however, for residents with lower IRM, greater optimism was associated with greater PS-ED support. In contrast, among residents with higher IRM, optimism was not associated with PS-ED support. CONCLUSIONS Comparing current results to published surveys, a similar proportion of residents and practicing physicians support PS-ED and PS-PP. In contrast to practicing physicians, however, IRM does not directly influence residents' supportiveness. The interaction between optimism and IRM suggests residents' beliefs and characteristics are salient to their EOL decisions. End-of-life curricula should provide physicians opportunities to reflect on the personal and ethical factors that influence their support for PS-ED.
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Affiliation(s)
- Larry D Cripe
- 1 Indiana University (IU) School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA.,2 IU Melvin and Bren Simon Cancer Center, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Susan M Perkins
- 1 Indiana University (IU) School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA.,2 IU Melvin and Bren Simon Cancer Center, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Ann Cottingham
- 1 Indiana University (IU) School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Yan Tong
- 1 Indiana University (IU) School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Mary Ann Kozak
- 3 Purdue University School of Pharmacy, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Rakesh Mehta
- 1 Indiana University (IU) School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA.,2 IU Melvin and Bren Simon Cancer Center, Indianapolis, IN, USA
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No Negative Impact of Palliative Sedation on Relatives' Experience of the Dying Phase and Their Wellbeing after the Patient's Death: An Observational Study. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0149250. [PMID: 26871717 PMCID: PMC4752210 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0149250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2015] [Accepted: 01/28/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Palliative sedation is the widely-used intervention of administering sedating agents to induce a state of unconsciousness to take away a dying patient’s perception of otherwise irrelievable symptoms. However, it remains questionable whether this ethically complex intervention is beneficial for patients and whether the associated lack of communication in the last phase of life has a negative impact on relatives’ wellbeing. Methods An observational questionnaire study was conducted among relatives of a consecutive sample of patients who died a non-sudden death in the Erasmus MC Cancer Institute or in the hospice ‘Laurens Cadenza’ (both in Rotterdam) between 2010 and 2013. Results Relatives filled in questionnaires regarding 151 patients who had been sedated and 90 patients who had not been sedated. The median time since all patients had passed away was 21 (IQR 14–32) months. No significant differences were found in relatives´ assessments of the quality of end-of-life care, patients´ quality of life in the last week before death and their quality of dying, between patients who did and did not receive sedation, or in relatives’ satisfaction with their own life, their general health and their mental wellbeing after the patient’s death. Conclusions The use of sedation in these patients appears to have no negative effect on bereaved relatives’ evaluation of the patient’s dying phase, or on their own wellbeing after the patient’s death.
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Robijn L, Chambaere K, Raus K, Rietjens J, Deliens L. Reasons for continuous sedation until death in cancer patients: a qualitative interview study. Eur J Cancer Care (Engl) 2015; 26. [PMID: 26515814 DOI: 10.1111/ecc.12405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/20/2015] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
End-of-life sedation, though increasingly prevalent and widespread, remains a highly debated medical practice in the context of palliative medicine. This qualitative study aims to look more specifically at how health care workers justify their use of continuous sedation until death and which factors they report as playing a part in the decision-making process. In-depth interviews were held with 28 physicians and 22 nurses of 27 cancer patients in Belgium who had received continuous sedation until death in hospitals, palliative care units or at home. Our findings indicate that medical decision-making for continuous sedation is not only based on clinical indications but also related to morally complex issues such as the social context and the personal characteristics and preferences of individual patient and their relatives. The complex role of non-clinical factors in palliative sedation decision-making needs to be further studied to assess which medically or ethically relevant arguments are underlying daily clinical practice. Finally, our findings suggest that in some cases continuous sedation was resorted to as an alternative option at the end of life when euthanasia, a legally regulated option in Belgium, was no longer practically possible.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Robijn
- End-of-Life Care Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) & Ghent University, Brussels, Belgium
| | - K Chambaere
- End-of-Life Care Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) & Ghent University, Brussels, Belgium
| | - K Raus
- End-of-Life Care Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) & Ghent University, Brussels, Belgium.,Bioethics Institute Ghent, Department of Philosophy and Moral Science, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - J Rietjens
- End-of-Life Care Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) & Ghent University, Brussels, Belgium
| | - L Deliens
- End-of-Life Care Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) & Ghent University, Brussels, Belgium.,Department of Medical Oncology, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Maltoni
- Palliative Care Unit, Istituto Scientifico Romagnolo per lo Studio e la Cura dei Tumori, Meldola, Italy
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Abstract
There are an increasing number of published single-method systematic reviews that focus on different types of evidence related to a particular topic. As policy makers and practitioners seek clear directions for decision-making from systematic reviews, it is likely that it will be increasingly difficult for them to identify 'what to do' if they are required to find and understand a plethora of syntheses related to a particular topic.Mixed-methods systematic reviews are designed to address this issue and have the potential to produce systematic reviews of direct relevance to policy makers and practitioners.On the basis of the recommendations of the Joanna Briggs Institute International Mixed Methods Reviews Methodology Group in 2012, the Institute adopted a segregated approach to mixed-methods synthesis as described by Sandelowski et al., which consists of separate syntheses of each component method of the review. Joanna Briggs Institute's mixed-methods synthesis of the findings of the separate syntheses uses a Bayesian approach to translate the findings of the initial quantitative synthesis into qualitative themes and pooling these with the findings of the initial qualitative synthesis.
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Gu X, Cheng W, Chen M, Liu M, Zhang Z. Palliative sedation for terminally ill cancer patients in a tertiary cancer center in Shanghai, China. BMC Palliat Care 2015; 14:5. [PMID: 25810691 PMCID: PMC4373517 DOI: 10.1186/s12904-015-0002-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2014] [Accepted: 02/20/2015] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Background There are a number of studies dedicated to characteristics of sedation, but these studies are mostly bound to western country practices. The aim of this study is to describe the characteristics of patients who suffered from cancer and who had been sedated until their death in Shanghai, China. Methods Retrospective medical data of 244 terminally ill cancer patients including 82 sedated patients were collected. Data collected included demographic characteristics, disease-related characteristics and details of the sedation. Results In sedated cases, patients and/or caregivers gave the consent to start palliative sedation due to unmanageable symptoms. On average, sedation was performed 24.65(±1.78)hours before death. Agitated delirium and dyspnea were the most frequent indications for palliative sedation. There was no significant difference in survival time from admission till death between sedated and non-sedated patients (p > 0.05). Conclusions Palliative sedation is effective for reducing terminally ill cancer patients’ suffering without hastening death. Prospective research is needed to determine the optimal conditions for Chinese patients including indications, decision making process, informed consent, cultural and ethical issues, type of sedation and drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoli Gu
- Department of Integrated Therapy, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, #270, Dong'An Road, Shanghai, 200032 People's Republic of China ; Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, #270, Dong'An Road, Shanghai, 200032 China
| | - Wenwu Cheng
- Department of Integrated Therapy, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, #270, Dong'An Road, Shanghai, 200032 People's Republic of China ; Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, #270, Dong'An Road, Shanghai, 200032 China
| | - Menglei Chen
- Department of Integrated Therapy, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, #270, Dong'An Road, Shanghai, 200032 People's Republic of China ; Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, #270, Dong'An Road, Shanghai, 200032 China
| | - Minghui Liu
- Department of Integrated Therapy, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, #270, Dong'An Road, Shanghai, 200032 People's Republic of China ; Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, #270, Dong'An Road, Shanghai, 200032 China
| | - Zhe Zhang
- Department of Integrated Therapy, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, #270, Dong'An Road, Shanghai, 200032 People's Republic of China ; Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, #270, Dong'An Road, Shanghai, 200032 China
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van Tol DG, Kouwenhoven P, van der Vegt B, Weyers H. Dutch physicians on the role of the family in continuous sedation. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ETHICS 2015; 41:240-244. [PMID: 24595486 DOI: 10.1136/medethics-2013-101624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
In order to relieve intractable suffering of a terminal patient, doctors may decide to continuously sedate a patient until the end of life. Little research is done on the role the family plays during the process of continuous sedation. This study aims to get a view of doctors' experiences with continuous sedation, and the role of the family throughout that process. We held in-depth interviews with 48 doctors (19 general practitioners, 16 nursing home doctors and 18 medical specialists). Participants were selected varying in experience and opinions concerning end-of-life decisions. Dutch physicians experience the role of family in continuous sedation as important and potentially difficult. Difficulties may rise especially during the final stages when the patient is no longer conscious and family members are waiting for death to come. Disagreement may arise between physician and family, concerning the dignity of the dying process or the question whether the sedated patient is suffering or not. Some physicians report they hastened the dying process, in order to relieve the families' suffering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donald G van Tol
- Department of General Practice, University Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | | | - Bea van der Vegt
- Department of Health Sciences, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Heleen Weyers
- Deparment of Legal Theory, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
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Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW The purpose of this review is to provide an update on palliative sedation in palliative and end-of-life care. Palliative sedation is the medical procedure used to deal with refractory symptoms in advanced cancer patients when all other specific approaches have failed. RECENT FINDINGS Palliative sedation, in the strictest sense of the term, is a proportionate (proportionate palliative sedation, PPS) and intrinsically variable procedure used on an individual basis to relieve refractory symptoms in terminally ill patients, without the intention of hastening death. Completely separate from any other end-of-life decision and not intended to hasten death, palliative sedation has been shown not to have a detrimental impact on survival. SUMMARY To maintain palliative sedation as a legitimate clinical procedure from any ethical or clinical point of view, it must be limited to the restricted area for which it was conceived, that is, relief from refractory suffering as deemed necessary by a patient and by an experienced palliative care team. In this way, there is no risk of associating palliative sedation with other end-of-life decisions. Close collaboration is needed between oncologists and palliative care physicians for this clinical procedure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Maltoni
- aPalliative Care Unit bUnit of Biostatistics and Clinical Trials, Istituto Scientifico Romagnolo per lo Studio e la Cura dei Tumori (IRST) IRCCS, Meldola, Italy
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Dean A, Miller B, Woodwark C. Sedation at the end of life: a hospice's decision-making practices in the UK. Int J Palliat Nurs 2014; 20:474-81. [DOI: 10.12968/ijpn.2014.20.10.474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Antonia Dean
- Lecturer Practitioner, at Hospice of St Francis, Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, UK
| | - Barbara Miller
- Clinical Audit Specialist Nurse, at Hospice of St Francis, Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, UK
| | - Catherine Woodwark
- Associate Specialist in Palliative Care, at Hospice of St Francis, Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, UK
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Swart SJ, van der Heide A, van Zuylen L, Perez RSGM, Zuurmond WWA, van der Maas PJ, van Delden JJM, Rietjens JAC. Continuous palliative sedation: not only a response to physical suffering. J Palliat Med 2014; 17:27-36. [PMID: 24410419 DOI: 10.1089/jpm.2013.0121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Palliative sedation is a medical intervention aimed at relieving symptoms that can no longer be controlled by conventional treatment. Ample knowledge is available regarding the nature of such symptoms, but there is no in-depth information regarding how health care workers decide about palliative sedation. OBJECTIVE The study objective was to investigate considerations concerning the indications for continuous palliative sedation (CPS) and issues that influence these considerations. DESIGN The study consisted of qualitative interviews regarding patients who had recently received CPS. SETTING/SUBJECTS The study involved physicians and nurses working in general practice, nursing homes, and hospitals. MEASUREMENT Analyses by a multidisciplinary research team used the constant comparative method. RESULTS Together with physical symptoms, psychological and existential suffering may combine to produce a refractory state for which other treatment options than CPS were not available or considered inappropriate. A limited life expectancy was by many considered crucial (e.g., to avoid hastening death) and by some less important (e.g., because the patient's suffering was considered to be key). Issues influencing the decision to use CPS related to patient preferences (e.g., dignity, not wanting to experience further suffering) or family issues (impact of suffering on family, family requesting CPS). CONCLUSIONS The indication for CPS typically originates from physical symptoms and nonphysical problems producing a refractory state in which a patient suffers unbearably. In such states, preferences of patients and families and the life expectancy criterion are weighed against the severity of refractory symptoms. Therefore the use of CPS is not only a response to the physical suffering of patients in the dying phase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siebe J Swart
- 1 Department of Public Health, Erasmus Medical Centre , Rotterdam, the Netherlands
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Bush SH, Leonard MM, Agar M, Spiller JA, Hosie A, Wright DK, Meagher DJ, Currow DC, Bruera E, Lawlor PG. End-of-life delirium: issues regarding recognition, optimal management, and the role of sedation in the dying phase. J Pain Symptom Manage 2014; 48:215-30. [PMID: 24879997 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2014.05.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2014] [Revised: 05/17/2014] [Accepted: 05/21/2014] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
CONTEXT In end-of-life care, delirium is often not recognized and poses unique management challenges, especially in the case of refractory delirium in the terminal phase. OBJECTIVES To review delirium in the terminal phase context, specifically in relation to recognition issues; the decision-making processes and management strategies regarding its reversibility; the potential refractoriness of delirium to symptomatic treatment; and the role of sedation in refractory delirium. METHODS We combined multidisciplinary input from delirium researchers and knowledge users at an international delirium study planning meeting and relevant electronic database literature searches (Ovid Medline, Embase, PsycINFO, and CINAHL) to inform this narrative review. RESULTS The overall management strategy for delirium at the end of life is directed by the patient's prognosis in association with the patient's goals of care. As symptoms of delirium are often refractory in the terminal phase, especially in the case of agitated delirium, the judicious use of palliative sedation is frequently required. However, there remains a lack of high-level evidence for the management of delirium in the terminal phase, including the role of antipsychotics and optimal sedation strategies. For the family and health-care staff, clear communication, education, and emotional support are vital components to assist with decision making and direct the treatment care plan. CONCLUSION Further research on the effectiveness of delirium management strategies in the terminal phase for patients and their families is required. Further validation of assessment tools for diagnostic screening and severity measurement is needed in this patient population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shirley H Bush
- Division of Palliative Care, Department of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Bruyère Research Institute, Bruyère Continuing Care, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
| | - Maeve M Leonard
- Graduate Entry Medical School, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland
| | - Meera Agar
- Discipline, Palliative & Supportive Services, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia; South West Sydney Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; Department of Palliative Care, Braeside Hospital, HammondCare, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Juliet A Spiller
- Palliative Medicine, Marie Curie Hospice, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Annmarie Hosie
- Faculty of Nursing, University of Notre Dame, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | | | - David J Meagher
- Graduate Entry Medical School, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland
| | - David C Currow
- Discipline, Palliative & Supportive Services, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Eduardo Bruera
- The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Peter G Lawlor
- Bruyère Research Institute, Bruyère Continuing Care, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Division of Palliative Care, Department of Medicine, Epidemiology and Community Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; The Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
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Bruinsma SM, Brown J, van der Heide A, Deliens L, Anquinet L, Payne SA, Seymour JE, Rietjens JAC. Making sense of continuous sedation in end-of-life care for cancer patients: an interview study with bereaved relatives in three European countries. Support Care Cancer 2014; 22:3243-52. [PMID: 25022759 DOI: 10.1007/s00520-014-2344-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2014] [Accepted: 06/29/2014] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE The purpose of the study was to explore relatives' descriptions and experiences of continuous sedation in end-of-life care for cancer patients and to identify and explain differences between respondents from the Netherlands, Belgium, and the UK. METHODS In-depth interviews were held between January 2011 and May 2012 with 38 relatives of 32 cancer patients who received continuous sedation until death in hospitals, the community, and hospices/palliative care units. RESULTS Relatives' descriptions of the practice referred to the outcome, to practical aspects, and to the goals of sedation. While most relatives believed sedation had contributed to a 'good death' for the patient, yet many expressed concerns. These related to anxieties about the patient's wellbeing, their own wellbeing, and questions about whether continuous sedation had shortened the patient's life (mostly UK), or whether an alternative approach would have been better. Such concerns seemed to have been prompted by relatives witnessing unexpected events such as the patient coming to awareness during sedation. In the Netherlands and in Belgium, several relatives reported that the start of the sedation allowed for a planned moment of 'saying goodbye'. In contrast, UK relatives discerned neither an explicit point at which sedation was started nor a specific moment of farewell. CONCLUSIONS Relatives believed that sedation contributed to the patient having a good death. Nevertheless, they also expressed concerns that may have been provoked by unexpected events for which they were unprepared. There seems to exist differences in the process of saying goodbye between the NL/BE and the UK.
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Affiliation(s)
- S M Bruinsma
- Department of Public Health, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, P.O. Box 2040, 3000 CA, Rotterdam, The Netherlands,
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Opinions of the Dutch public on palliative sedation: a mixed-methods approach. Br J Gen Pract 2014; 63:e676-82. [PMID: 24152482 DOI: 10.3399/bjgp13x673685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/31/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Palliative sedation is defined as deliberately lowering a patient's consciousness, to relieve intolerable suffering from refractory symptoms at the end of life. Palliative sedation is considered a last resort intervention in end-of-life care that should not be confused with euthanasia. AIM To inform healthcare professionals about attitudes of the general public regarding palliative sedation. design and setting: A cross-sectional survey among members of the Dutch general public followed by qualitative interviews. METHOD One thousand nine hundred and sixty members of the general public completed the questionnaire, which included a vignette describing palliative sedation (response rate 78%); 16 participants were interviewed. RESULTS In total, 22% of the responders indicated knowing the term 'palliative sedation'. Qualitative data showed a variety of interpretations of the term. Eighty-one per cent of the responders agreed with the provision of sedatives as described in a vignette of a patient with untreatable pain and a life expectancy of <1 week who received sedatives to alleviate his suffering. This percentage was somewhat lower for a patient with a life expectancy of <1 month (74%, P = 0.007) and comparable in the case where the physician gave sedatives with the aim of ending the patient's life (79%, P = 0.54). CONCLUSION Most of the general public accept the use of palliative sedation at the end of life, regardless of a potential life-shortening effect. However, confusion exists about what palliative sedation represents. This should be taken into account by healthcare professionals when communicating with patients and their relatives on end-of-life care options.
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Palliative sedation for cancer patients included in a home care program: A retrospective study. Palliat Support Care 2014; 13:619-24. [DOI: 10.1017/s1478951514000200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
AbstractObjective:Palliative sedation is a common treatment in palliative care. The home is a difficult environment for research, and there are few studies about sedation at home. Our aim was to analyze this practice in a home setting.Method:We conducted a retrospective cross-sectional descriptive study in a home cohort during 2011. The inclusion criteria were as follows: 18 years or older and enrolled in the Palliative Home Care Program (PHCP) with advanced cancer. The variables employed were: sex, age, primary tumor location, and place of death. We also registered indication, type, drug and dose, awareness of diagnosis and prognosis, consent, survival, presence or absence of rales, painful mouth, and ulcers in patients sedated at home. We also collected the opinions of family members and professionals about the suffering of sedated patients.Results:A total of 446 patients (56% at home) of the 617 admitted to the PHCP between January and December of 2011 passed away. The typical patient in our population was a 70-year-old man with a lung tumor. Some 35 (14%) home patients required sedation, compared to 93 (49%) at the hospital. The most frequent indication was delirium (70%), with midazolam the most common drug (mean dose, 40 mg). Survival was around three days. Rales were frequent (57%) as well as awareness of diagnosis and prognosis (77 and 71%, respectively). Perception of suffering after sedation was rare among relatives (17%) and professionals (8%). In most cases, the decision was made jointly by professionals and family members.Significance of Results:Our study confirmed the role of palliative sedation as an appropriate therapeutic tool in the home environment.
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Raus K, Brown J, Seale C, Rietjens JAC, Janssens R, Bruinsma S, Mortier F, Payne S, Sterckx S. Continuous sedation until death: the everyday moral reasoning of physicians, nurses and family caregivers in the UK, The Netherlands and Belgium. BMC Med Ethics 2014; 15:14. [PMID: 24555871 PMCID: PMC3942295 DOI: 10.1186/1472-6939-15-14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2013] [Accepted: 01/30/2014] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Continuous sedation is increasingly used as a way to relieve symptoms at the end of life. Current research indicates that some physicians, nurses, and relatives involved in this practice experience emotional and/or moral distress. This study aims to provide insight into what may influence how professional and/or family carers cope with such distress. METHODS This study is an international qualitative interview study involving interviews with physicians, nurses, and relatives of deceased patients in the UK, The Netherlands and Belgium (the UNBIASED study) about a case of continuous sedation at the end of life they were recently involved in. All interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed by staying close to the data using open coding. Next, codes were combined into larger themes and categories of codes resulting in a four point scheme that captured all of the data. Finally, our findings were compared with others and explored in relation to theories in ethics and sociology. RESULTS The participants' responses can be captured as different dimensions of 'closeness', i.e. the degree to which one feels connected or 'close' to a certain decision or event. We distinguished four types of 'closeness', namely emotional, physical, decisional, and causal. Using these four dimensions of 'closeness' it became possible to describe how physicians, nurses, and relatives experience their involvement in cases of continuous sedation until death. More specifically, it shined a light on the everyday moral reasoning employed by care providers and relatives in the context of continuous sedation, and how this affected the emotional impact of being involved in sedation, as well as the perception of their own moral responsibility. CONCLUSION Findings from this study demonstrate that various factors are reported to influence the degree of closeness to continuous sedation (and thus the extent to which carers feel morally responsible), and that some of these factors help care providers and relatives to distinguish continuous sedation from euthanasia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kasper Raus
- Department of Philosophy and Moral Sciences, Ghent University, Blandijnberg 2, Ghent, Belgium
- End of Life Care Research Group, Ghent University and Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Laarbeeklaan 103, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Jayne Brown
- School of Nursing and Midwifery, De Monfort University, The Gateway, Leicester, UK
| | - Clive Seale
- Department of Sociology and Communications, Brunel University, Uxbridge, Middlesex, UK
| | - Judith AC Rietjens
- End of Life Care Research Group, Ghent University and Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Laarbeeklaan 103, Brussels, Belgium
- Department of Public Health, Erasmus MC, Dr. Molewaterplein 50, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Rien Janssens
- Department of Medical Humanities, VU Medical Centre, Van der Boechorststraat 7, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Sophie Bruinsma
- Department of Public Health, Erasmus MC, Dr. Molewaterplein 50, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Freddy Mortier
- Department of Philosophy and Moral Sciences, Ghent University, Blandijnberg 2, Ghent, Belgium
- End of Life Care Research Group, Ghent University and Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Laarbeeklaan 103, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Sheila Payne
- International Observatory on End of Life Care, Lancaster University, Furness College, Lancaster, UK
| | - Sigrid Sterckx
- Department of Philosophy and Moral Sciences, Ghent University, Blandijnberg 2, Ghent, Belgium
- End of Life Care Research Group, Ghent University and Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Laarbeeklaan 103, Brussels, Belgium
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van Deijck RH, Hasselaar JG, Verhagen SC, Vissers KC, Koopmans RT. Determinants of the Administration of Continuous Palliative Sedation: A Systematic Review. J Palliat Med 2013; 16:1624-32. [DOI: 10.1089/jpm.2013.0173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | - Jeroen G.J. Hasselaar
- Department of Anesthesiology, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | | | - Kris C.P. Vissers
- Department of Anesthesiology, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Raymond T.C.M. Koopmans
- Department of Primary and Community Care, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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Effectiveness of multidisciplinary team conference on decision-making surrounding the application of continuous deep sedation for terminally ill cancer patients. Palliat Support Care 2013; 13:157-64. [PMID: 24182761 DOI: 10.1017/s1478951513000837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Continuous deep sedation (CDS) is a way to reduce conscious experience of symptoms of severe suffering in terminally ill cancer patients. However, there is wide variation in the frequency of its reported. So we conducted a retrospective analysis to assess the prevalence and features of CDS in our palliative care unit (PCU). METHODS We performed a systemic retrospective analysis of the medical and nursing records of all 1581 cancer patients who died at the PCU at Higashi Sapporo Hospital between April 2005 and August 2011. Continuous deep sedation can only be administered safely and appropriately when a multidisciplinary team is involved in the decision-making process. Prior to administration of CDS, a multidisciplinary team conference (MDTC) was held with respect to all the patients considered for CDS by an attending physician. The main outcome measures were the frequency and characteristics of CDS (patient background, all target symptoms, medications used for sedation, duration, family's satisfaction, and distress). We mailed anonymous questionnaires to bereaved families in August 2011. RESULTS Of 1581 deceased patients, 22 (1.39%) had received CDS. Physical exhaustion 8 (36.4%), dyspnea 7 (31.8%), and pain 5 (22.7%) were the most frequently mentioned indications. Continuous deep sedation had a duration of less than 1 week in 17 (77.3%). Six patients (0.38%) did not meet the appropriate criteria for CDS according to the MDTC and so did not receive it. Although bereaved families were generally comfortable with the practice of CDS, some expressed a high level of emotional distress. SIGNIFICANCE OF RESULTS Our results indicate that the prevalence of CDS will be decreased when it is carried out solely for appropriate indications. Continuity of teamwork, good coordination, exchange of information, and communication between the various care providers are essential. A lack of any of these may lead to inadequate assessment, information discrepancies, and unrest.
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Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW The aim of this review was to present and comment on recent data published on palliative sedation in palliative and end-of-life care. Palliative sedation is a medical procedure used to deal with the refractory symptoms occurring in the advanced stages of cancer. It has clinical, nursing, relational and ethical implications, making it a highly sensitive issue. RECENT FINDINGS Over the last 12 months, a number of authors have published interesting new findings on different areas of palliative sedation, that is prevalence, indications, monitoring, duration and choice of drugs. In particular, a clear definition of palliative sedation and of its more pronounced form, deep continuous sedation (DCS), has emerged. It has been confirmed that, when performed in the correct way and with the right aims, palliative sedation does not have a detrimental impact on survival. SUMMARY Recent findings confirm that palliative sedation is an integral part of a medical palliative care approach and is needed in certain clinical situations. It is a legitimate clinical practice from any ethical point of view. While oncologists should have a basic knowledge of the procedure, its in depth study is a core competency for palliative care physicians.
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Anquinet L, Rietjens JA, Vandervoort A, van der Steen JT, Vander Stichele R, Deliens L, Van den Block L. Continuous Deep Sedation Until Death in Nursing Home Residents with Dementia: A Case Series. J Am Geriatr Soc 2013; 61:1768-76. [DOI: 10.1111/jgs.12447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Livia Anquinet
- End-of-Life Care Research Group; Vrije Universiteit Brussel and Ghent University; Brussels Belgium
| | - Judith A.C. Rietjens
- End-of-Life Care Research Group; Vrije Universiteit Brussel and Ghent University; Brussels Belgium
| | - An Vandervoort
- End-of-Life Care Research Group; Vrije Universiteit Brussel and Ghent University; Brussels Belgium
| | - Jenny T. van der Steen
- General Practice and Elderly Care Medicine; EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research; Expertise Center for Palliative Care; VU University Medical Center; Amsterdam the Netherlands
| | - Robert Vander Stichele
- End-of-Life Care Research Group; Vrije Universiteit Brussel and Ghent University; Brussels Belgium
- Heymans Institute of Pharmacology; Ghent University; Ghent Belgium
| | - Luc Deliens
- End-of-Life Care Research Group; Vrije Universiteit Brussel and Ghent University; Brussels Belgium
- Public and Occupational Health; EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research; Expertise Center for Palliative Care; VU University Medical Center; Amsterdam the Netherlands
| | - Lieve Van den Block
- End-of-Life Care Research Group; Vrije Universiteit Brussel and Ghent University; Brussels Belgium
- Department of Family Medicine; Vrije Universiteit Brussel; Brussels Belgium
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Parry RH, Land V. Systematically reviewing and synthesizing evidence from conversation analytic and related discursive research to inform healthcare communication practice and policy: an illustrated guide. BMC Med Res Methodol 2013; 13:69. [PMID: 23721181 PMCID: PMC3674894 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2288-13-69] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2012] [Accepted: 05/06/2013] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Healthcare delivery is largely accomplished in and through conversations between people, and healthcare quality and effectiveness depend enormously upon the communication practices employed within these conversations. An important body of evidence about these practices has been generated by conversation analysis and related discourse analytic approaches, but there has been very little systematic reviewing of this evidence. Methods We developed an approach to reviewing evidence from conversation analytic and related discursive research through the following procedures: • reviewing existing systematic review methods and our own prior experience of applying these • clarifying distinctive features of conversation analytic and related discursive work which must be taken into account when reviewing • holding discussions within a review advisory team that included members with expertise in healthcare research, conversation analytic research, and systematic reviewing • attempting and then refining procedures through conducting an actual review which examined evidence about how people talk about difficult future issues including illness progression and dying Results We produced a step-by-step guide which we describe here in terms of eight stages, and which we illustrate from our ‘Review of Future Talk’. The guide incorporates both established procedures for systematic reviewing, and new techniques designed for working with conversation analytic evidence. Conclusions The guide is designed to inform systematic reviews of conversation analytic and related discursive evidence on specific domains and topics. Whilst we designed it for reviews that aim at informing healthcare practice and policy, it is flexible and could be used for reviews with other aims, for instance those aiming to underpin research programmes and projects. We advocate systematically reviewing conversation analytic and related discursive findings using this approach in order to translate them into a form that is credible and useful to healthcare practitioners, educators and policy-makers.
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Bruinsma S, Rietjens J, van der Heide A. Palliative sedation: a focus group study on the experiences of relatives. J Palliat Med 2013; 16:349-55. [PMID: 23421537 DOI: 10.1089/jpm.2012.0410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Most studies that have investigated the practice of palliative sedation have focused on physicians' practices and attitudes. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to explore relatives' experiences with palliative sedation and to gain more insight in positive and negative elements in their evaluation of palliative sedation. DESIGN Focus groups and individual interviews. SETTING Various care settings in the Netherlands. SUBJECTS A total of 14 relatives of patients who received palliative sedation until death participated. RESULTS Most relatives evaluated the provision of palliative sedation of their dying family member positively. Positive experiences were related to: the beneficial impact of palliative sedation on the patient's suffering, the opportunity that was offered to prepare for the patient's death, their involvement in the decision-making and care for the patient, and the pleasant care environment. However, the majority of the relatives were unsatisfied with one or more aspects of how information was being provided for. Some relatives were frustrated about the fact that nurses were not authorized to make decisions about the care for the patient and about the absence of physicians during weekends. None of the relatives mentioned the loss of the ability to communicate with the patient during the sedation and the possibility of "hastening death" as disadvantages of palliative sedation. CONCLUSION Relatives tend to evaluate the provision of palliative sedation to their severely suffering family member positively because it contributes to a peaceful dying process. However, relatives indicated discontent with how information was being provided and with the communication in general.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie Bruinsma
- Department of Public Health, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
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Carmona Jiménez AM, González M, Vélez Ángel MC, Krikorian A. Impacto familiar de la sedación paliativa en pacientes terminales desde la perspectiva del cuidador principal. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 1970. [DOI: 10.5209/psic.54441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Objetivo: Describir el impacto familiar de la sedación paliativa en pacientes con enfermedad avanzada terminal ya fallecidos, desde la percepción del cuidador principal.Método: Estudio cualitativo de enfoque fenomenológico. Se realizaron entrevistas semi-estructuradas a diez cuidadores principales de pacientes con enfermedad terminal fallecidos bajo sedación paliativa, que fueron atendidos por cuidados paliativos en una institución oncológica de Medellín, Colombia entre enero y marzo de 2015. Se analizó la información a partir de categorías preestablecidas: significado, cambios emocionales, cambios estructurales y duelo.Resultado: Los cuidadores no tenían ningún conocimiento previo sobre la sedación. Todos reportan que fueron informados sobre el objetivo y los cambios físicos que podía presentar el paciente; sin embargo, la mitad de ellos refirieron que esta información no fue suficiente para comprender el proceso que enfrentaban. Manifestaron diversos sentimientos (alivio, duda, impotencia, tristeza) antes, durante y después de la sedación. Respecto a los cambios estructurales, la mayoría de las familias se reorganizaron y facilitaron el acompañamiento y cuidado al paciente refiriendo fortalecimiento de las relaciones familiares. Finalmente, se encontró que los cuidadores percibieron que la sedación paliativa facilita el duelo, al aliviar el sufrimiento y permitiendo una buena muerte.Conclusiones: Los cuidadores evalúan la experiencia de sedación como positiva y satisfactoria para aliviar el sufrimiento de su ser querido y el de su familia. Igualmente, facilita el proceso de duelo por la construcción positiva de alivio en torno a la experiencia vivida como familia, fortaleciendo sus relaciones y recordando una buena muerte para su paciente
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