Attitudes of patients toward cardiopulmonary resuscitation in the dialysis unit

Impact of Television Depictions of Gout on Perceptions of Illness: A Randomized Controlled Trial

OBJECTIVE

Gout is a chronic disease that can be effectively managed with long-term urate-lowering therapy. However, it is frequently portrayed on screen as an acute disease caused by a poor diet that should be managed with lifestyle changes. This study was undertaken to investigate the impact of a fictional television depiction of gout on perceptions of the disease and its management.

METHODS

In a randomized controlled single-blind study, 200 members of the public watched either a 19-minute commercial television comedy episode that depicted gout as an acute disease caused by poor diet and managed with lifestyle changes, or a control episode from the same television series that did not mention gout or other diseases. Participants completed a survey regarding their perceptions of gout, its likely causes, and management strategies.

RESULTS

Participants randomized to watch the gout-related episode believed gout had greater consequences (mean score of 7.1 versus 6.2 on an 11-point Likert scale; P < 0.001) and were more likely to rank the most important cause as poor eating habits compared to the control group (70% versus 38%; P < 0.001). They were also less likely to believe it is caused by genetic factors or chance. Participants watching the gout-related episode believed a change in diet would be a more effective management strategy (9.0 versus 8.4; P = 0.004) and long-term medication use would be less effective (6.9 versus 7.6; P = 0.007) compared to participants in the control group.

CONCLUSION

Television depictions of gout can perpetuate inaccurate beliefs regarding causes of the disease and underemphasize effective medical strategies required in chronic disease management.

Value Placed on Comfort vs Life Prolongation Among Patients Treated With Maintenance Dialysis

Importance

Patients receiving maintenance dialysis experience intensive patterns of end-of-life care that might not be consistent with their values.

Objective

To evaluate the association of patients' health care values with engagement in advance care planning and end-of-life care.

Design, Setting, and Participants

Survey study of patients who received maintenance dialysis between 2015 and 2018 at dialysis centers in the greater metropolitan areas of Seattle, Washington, and Nashville, Tennessee, with longitudinal follow-up of decedents. Logistic regression models were used to estimate probabilities. Data analysis was conducted between May and October 2022.

Exposures

A survey question about the value that the participant would place on longevity-focused vs comfort-focused care if they were to become seriously ill.

Main Outcomes and Measures

Self-reported engagement in advance care planning and care received near the end of life through 2020 using linked kidney registry data and Medicare claims.

Results

Of 933 patients (mean [SD] age, 62.6 [14.0] years; 525 male patients [56.3%]; 254 [27.2%] identified as Black) who responded to the question about values and could be linked to registry data (65.2% response rate [933 of 1431 eligible patients]), 452 (48.4%) indicated that they would value comfort-focused care, 179 (19.2%) that they would value longevity-focused care, and 302 (32.4%) that they were unsure about the intensity of care they would value. Many had not completed an advance directive (estimated probability, 47.5% [95% CI, 42.9%-52.1%] of those who would value comfort-focused care vs 28.1% [95% CI, 24.0%-32.3%] of those who would value longevity-focused care or were unsure; P < .001), had not discussed hospice (estimated probability, 28.6% [95% CI, 24.6%-32.9%] comfort focused vs 18.2% [95% CI, 14.7%-21.7%] longevity focused or unsure; P < .001), or had not discussed stopping dialysis (estimated probability, 33.3% [95% CI, 29.0%-37.7%] comfort focused vs 21.9% [95% CI, 18.2%-25.8%] longevity focused or unsure; P < .001). Most respondents wanted to receive cardiopulmonary resuscitation (estimated probability, 78.0% [95% CI, 74.2%-81.7%] comfort focused vs 93.9% [95% CI, 91.4%-96.1%] longevity focused or unsure; P < .001) and mechanical ventilation (estimated probability, 52.0% [95% CI, 47.4%-56.6%] comfort focused vs 77.9% [95% CI, 74.0%-81.7%] longevity focused or unsure; P < .001). Among decedents, the percentages of participants who received an intensive procedure during the final month of life (estimated probability, 23.5% [95% CI, 16.5%-31.0%] comfort focused vs 26.1% [95% CI, 18.0%-34.5%] longevity focused or unsure; P = .64), discontinued dialysis (estimated probability, 38.3% [95% CI, 32.0%-44.8%] comfort focused vs 30.2% [95% CI, 23.0%-37.8%] longevity focused or unsure; P = .09), and enrolled in hospice (estimated probability, 32.2% [95% CI, 25.7%-38.7%] comfort focused vs 23.3% [95% CI, 16.4%-30.5%] longevity focused or unsure; P = .07) were not statistically different.

Conclusions and Relevance

This survey study found that there appeared to be a disconnect between patients' expressed values, which were largely comfort focused, and their engagement in advance care planning and end-of-life care, which reflected a focus on longevity. These findings suggest important opportunities to improve the quality of care for patients receiving dialysis.

Video Images about Decisions for Ethical Outcomes in Kidney Disease (VIDEO-KD): the study protocol for a multi-centre randomised controlled trial

INTRODUCTION

Older patients with advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD) often are inadequately prepared to make informed decisions about treatments including dialysis and cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Further, evidence shows that patients with advanced CKD do not commonly engage in advance care planning (ACP), may suffer from poor quality of life, and may be exposed to end-of-life care that is not concordant with their goals. We aim to study the effectiveness of a video intervention on ACP, treatment preferences and other patient-reported outcomes.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

The Video Images about Decisions for Ethical Outcomes in Kidney Disease trial is a multi-centre randomised controlled trial that will test the effectiveness of an intervention that includes a CKD-related video decision aid followed by recording personal video declarations about goals of care and treatment preferences in older adults with advancing CKD. We aim to enrol 600 patients over 5 years at 10 sites.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

Regulatory and ethical aspects of this trial include a single Institutional Review Board mechanism for approval, data use agreements among sites, and a Data Safety and Monitoring Board. We intend to disseminate findings at national meetings and publish our results.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

NCT04347629.

Dialysis Patients’ Preferences on Resuscitation: A Cross-Sectional Study Design

Background:

End-stage kidney disease is associated with a 10- to 100-fold increase in cardiovascular mortality compared with age-, sex-, and race-matched population. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in this cohort has poor outcomes and leads to increased functional morbidity.

Objective:

The aim of this study is to assess patients’ preferences toward CPR and advance care planning (ACP).

Design:

cross-sectional study design.

Setting:

Two outpatient dialysis units.

Patients:

Adults undergoing dialysis for more than 3 months were included. Exclusion criteria were severe cognitive impairment or non-English-speaking patients.

Measurements:

A structured interview with the use of Willingness to Accept Life-Sustaining Treatment (WALT) tool.

Methods:

Demographic data were collected, and baseline Montreal Cognitive Assessment, Patient Health Questionnaire–9, Duke Activity Status Index, Charlson comorbidity index, and WALT instruments were used. Descriptive analysis, chi-square, and t test were performed along with probability plot for testing hypotheses.

Results:

Seventy participants were included in this analysis representing a 62.5% response rate. There was a clear association between treatment burden, anticipated clinical outcome, and the likelihood of that outcome with patient preferences. Low-burden treatment with expected return to baseline was associated with 98.5% willingness to accept treatment, whereas high-burden treatment with expected return to baseline was associated with 94.2% willingness. When the outcome was severe functional or cognitive impairment, then 45.7% and 28.5% would accept low-burden treatment, respectively. The response changed based on the likelihood of the outcome. In terms of resuscitation, more than 75% of the participants would be in favor of receiving CPR and mechanical ventilation at their current health state. Over 94% of patients stated they had never discussed ACP, whereas 59.4% expressed their wish to discuss this with their primary nephrologist.

Limitations:

Limited generalizability due to lack of diversity. Unclear decision stability due to changes in health status and patients’ priorities.

Conclusions:

ACP should be incorporated in managing chronic kidney disease (CKD) to improve communication and encourage patient involvement.

Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Preferences of People Receiving Dialysis

IMPORTANCE

Whether the cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) preferences of patients receiving dialysis align with their values and other aspects of end-of-life care is not known.

OBJECTIVE

To describe the CPR preferences of patients receiving dialysis and how these preferences are associated with their responses to questions about other aspects of end-of-life care.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

Cross-sectional survey study of a consecutive sample of patients receiving dialysis at 31 nonprofit dialysis facilities in 2 US metropolitan areas (Seattle, Washington, and Nashville, Tennessee) between April 22, 2015, and October 2, 2018. Analyses for this article were conducted between December 2018 and April 2020.

EXPOSURES

Participants were asked to respond to the question "If you had to decide right now, would you want CPR if your heart were to stop beating?" Those who indicated they would probably or definitely want CPR were categorized as preferring CPR.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

This study examined the association between preference for CPR and other treatment preferences, engagement in advance care planning, values, desired place of death, expectations about prognosis, symptoms, and palliative care needs.

RESULTS

Of the 1434 individuals invited to complete the survey, 1009 agreed to participate, and 876 were included in the analytic cohort (61.1%). The final cohort had a mean (SD) age of 62.6 (14.0) years; 492 (56.2%) were men, and 528 (60.3%) were White individuals. Among 738 of 876 participants (84.2%) who indicated that they would definitely or probably want CPR (CPR group), 555 (75.2%) wanted mechanical ventilation vs 13 of 138 (9.4%) of those who did not want CPR (do not resuscitate [DNR] group) (P < .001). A total of 249 of 738 participants (33.7%) in the CPR group vs 84 of 138 (60.9%) in the DNR group had documented treatment preferences (P < .001). In terms of values about future care, 171 participants (23.2%) in the CPR group vs 5 of 138 (3.6%) in the DNR group valued life prolongation (P < .001); 320 in the CPR group (43.4%) vs 109 of 138 in the DNR group (79.0%) valued comfort (P < .001); and 247 participants (33.5%) in the CPR group vs 24 of 138 (17.4%) in the DNR group were unsure about their wishes for future care (P < .001). In the CPR group, 207 (28.0%) had thought about stopping dialysis vs 62 of 138 (44.9%) in the DNR group (P < .001), and 181 (24.5%) vs 58 of 138 (42.0%) had discussed stopping dialysis (P = .001). No statistically significant associations were observed between CPR preference and documentation of a surrogate decision maker, thoughts or discussion of hospice, preferred place of death, expectations about prognosis, reported symptoms, or palliative care needs.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

The CPR preferences of patients receiving dialysis were associated with some, but not all, other aspects of end-of-life care. How participants responded to questions about these other aspects of end-of-life care were not always aligned with their CPR preference. More work is needed to integrate discussions about code status with bigger picture conversations about patients' values, goals, and preferences for end-of-life care.

Health-related preferences of older patients with multimorbidity: an evidence map

OBJECTIVES

To systematically identify knowledge clusters and research gaps in the health-related preferences of older patients with multimorbidity by mapping current evidence.

DESIGN

Evidence map (systematic review variant).

DATA SOURCES

MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, PSYNDEX, CINAHL and Science Citation Index/Social Science Citation Index/-Expanded from inception to April 2018.

STUDY SELECTION

Studies reporting primary research on health-related preferences of older patients (mean age ≥60 years) with multimorbidity (≥2 chronic/acute conditions).

DATA EXTRACTION

Two independent reviewers assessed studies for eligibility, extracted data and clustered the studies using MAXQDA-18 content analysis software.

RESULTS

The 152 included studies (62% from North America, 28% from Europe) comprised 57 093 patients overall (range 9-9105). All used an observational design except for one interventional study: 63 (41%) were qualitative (59 cross-sectional, 4 longitudinal), 85 (57%) quantitative (63 cross-sectional, 22 longitudinal) and 3 (2%) used mixed methods. The setting was specialised care in 85 (56%) and primary care in 54 (36%) studies. We identified seven clusters of studies on preferences: end-of-life care (n=51, 34%), self-management (n=34, 22%), treatment (n=32, 21%), involvement in shared decision making (n=25, 17%), health outcome prioritisation/goal setting (n=19, 13%), healthcare service (n=12, 8%) and screening/diagnostic testing (n=1, 1%). Terminology (eg, preferences, views and perspectives) and concepts (eg, trade-offs, decision regret, goal setting) used to describe health-related preferences varied substantially between studies.

CONCLUSION

Our study provides the first evidence map on the preferences of older patients with multimorbidity. Included studies were mostly conducted in developed countries and covered a broad range of issues. Evidence on patient preferences concerning decision-making on screening and diagnostic testing was scarce. Differences in employed terminology, decision-making components and concepts, as well as the sparsity of intervention studies, are challenges for future research into evidence-based decision support seeking to elicit the preferences of older patients with multimorbidity and help them construct preferences.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

Open Science Framework (OSF): DOI 10.17605/OSF.IO/MCRWQ.

A critical review of the factors leading to cardiopulmonary resuscitation as the default position of hospitalized patients in the USA regardless of severity of illness

BACKGROUND

Physicians are occasionally faced with patients requesting full resuscitation against medical advice. More commonly, neither patients nor their family members make such a request, but physicians simply presume that providing cardiopulmonary resuscitation comports with the patient's wishes. In the USA, in contrast to other countries, a unilateral Do-Not-Resuscitate order by the physician is either forbidden by State Statute or not enforced by hospital policy. Unless otherwise specified, performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation on all hospitalized patients, regardless of the severity of the underlying illness, is the default position. Unlike other medical interventions, no deference is given to the medical judgment of the physician even when a patient is in the last days of a terminal illness. We examine the factors that have led to cardiopulmonary resuscitation having this unique status.

MAIN BODY

A review of the historical factors leading to cardiopulmonary resuscitation as the default position was undertaken. Articles published in the medical literature, lay-press articles, legislative enactments of law, and judicial opinions involving the issue of Do-Not-Resuscitate and cardiopulmonary resuscitation were reviewed regarding their impact on physician and hospital practice in the USA.

CONCLUSION

A critical review of the historical factors reveals that the rapid dissemination of cardiopulmonary training for the public, inaccuracies in the media regarding successful cardiopulmonary resuscitation, well-meaning legislative efforts with inadvertent consequences, and judicial interpretation outside the generally accepted concept of malpractice law have contributed to the situation faced by today's physicians and hospitals in the USA.

Outcomes for Hemodialysis Patients Given Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation for Cardiac Arrest at Outpatient Dialysis Clinics

BACKGROUND

Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, the leading cause of death among patients on hemodialysis, occurs frequently within outpatient dialysis centers. Practice guidelines recommend resuscitation training for all dialysis clinic staff and on-site defibrillator availability, but the extent of staff involvement in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) efforts and its association with outcomes is unknown.

METHODS

We used data from the Cardiac Arrest Registry to Enhance Survival and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services dialysis facility database to identify patients who had cardiac arrest within outpatient dialysis clinics between 2010 and 2016 in the southeastern United States. We compared outcomes of patients who received dialysis staff-initiated CPR with those who did not until the arrival of emergency medical services (EMS).

RESULTS

Among 398 OHCA events in dialysis clinics, 66% of all patients presented with a nonshockable initial rhythm. Dialysis staff initiated CPR in 81.4% of events and applied defibrillators before EMS arrival in 52.3%. Staff were more likely to initiate CPR among men and witness cardiac arrests, and were more likely to provide CPR within larger dialysis clinics. Staff-initiated CPR was associated with a three-fold increase in the odds of hospital discharge and favorable neurologic status on discharge. There was no overall association between staff-initiated defibrillator use and outcomes, but there was a nonsignificant trend toward improved survival to hospital discharge in the subgroup with shockable initial cardiac arrest rhythms.

CONCLUSIONS

Dialysis staff-initiated CPR was associated with a large increase in survival but was only performed in 81% of cardiac arrest events. Further investigations should focus on understanding the potential facilitators and barriers to CPR in the dialysis setting.

Usefulness of questionnaires on advance directives in haemodialysis units

Background

As renal replacement therapy has become universal practice in medicine, there is a need to consider whether this treatment is suitable for elderly people. These patients have high comorbidity and may require dialysis withdrawal in certain clinical circumstances. Advance directives (ADs) drawn up by patients facilitate treatment-related decisions if they lose cognitive capacity. Questionnaires dealing with possible extreme clinical circumstances can thus help clinicians and relatives reach pertinent decisions in such cases.

Methods

We studied the usefulness of questionnaires on ADs in patients who started periodic haemodialysis over a period of 10 years. Telephone interviews were conducted to assess satisfaction level among relatives/representatives of deceased patients who had been advised to limit therapeutic efforts in certain clinical situations. The questionnaire was assessed using a six-factor degree of satisfaction.

Results

Four hundred and forty-three questionnaires were distributed over a period of 10 years. A total of 41.3% of patients stated that they wished to limit therapeutic efforts in the serious clinical situations presented; 37.9% refused to complete the questionnaire; 14.7% expressed their wishes without any written confirmation; and 6.1% expressed their wish to continue on dialysis in all situations. Two hundred and twenty-four patients had died by the study end date. The cause of death in 20.2% was scheduled dialysis withdrawal. Representatives reported an extremely high degree of satisfaction with the questionnaire (94.7%). Younger people, however, were more reluctant to consider and answer questionnaires on ADs.

Conclusions

Questionnaires on ADs are a useful tool in daily nephrology practice and should be distributed to those patients willing to consider the limitation of therapeutic efforts in extreme clinical circumstances. In general terms, these questionnaires should be given to all elderly patients.

Associations with resuscitation choice: Do not resuscitate, full code or undecided

OBJECTIVE

To examine associations of individual exposure and knowledge of resuscitation mechanics and prognosis with specific decision: Do Not Resuscitate (DNR), Full Code (FC) or Undecided (UD).

METHODS

Cross-sectional questionnaire at 3 sites: geriatric assessment center, internal medicine resident clinic, and inpatient palliative care service.

RESULTS

407 completed the questionnaire: 27% identified as DNR, 24% as FC and 49% as UD. Few (11.8%) respondents reported discussion of DNR status with their primary care doctor. DNR choice was associated with knowledge of DNR mechanics, OR=2.30 (95%CI: 1.23-4.30), physician discussion, OR=5.58 (95%CI: 2.39-13.04) and confidence in understanding own health problems, OR=2.89 (95%CI: 1.04-8.04). FC choice was associated with knowledge of FC mechanics, OR=2.01 (95%CI: 1.03-3.93) and media code exposure, OR=3.80 (95%CI: 1.46-9.92). Knowledge of resuscitation prognosis was negatively associated with FC, OR =0.48 (95%CI: 0.23-0.98).

CONCLUSION

Many individuals lack knowledge or understanding of resuscitation procedure, its risks, and prognosis. Educational efforts, for both patients and healthcare professionals, are needed to improve individual knowledge needed for informed decision.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

Scheduled time for physician-patient discussion remains important for education about individual health conditions and risk/benefits related to resuscitation.

Trends in in-hospital cardiopulmonary resuscitation and survival in adults receiving maintenance dialysis

IMPORTANCE

Understanding cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) practices and outcomes can help to support advance care planning in patients receiving maintenance dialysis.

OBJECTIVE

To characterize patterns and outcomes of in-hospital CPR in US adults receiving maintenance dialysis.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

This national retrospective cohort study studied 663,734 Medicare beneficiaries 18 years or older from a comprehensive national registry for end-stage renal disease who initiated maintenance dialysis from January 1, 2000, through December 31, 2010.

EXPOSURES

Receipt of in-hospital CPR from 91 days after dialysis initiation through the time of death, first kidney transplantation, or end of follow-up on December 31, 2011.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

Incidence of CPR and survival after the first episode of CPR recorded in Medicare claims during follow-up.

RESULTS

The annual incidence of CPR for the overall cohort was 1.4 events per 1000 in-hospital days (95% CI, 1.3-1.4). A total of 21.9% CPR recipients (95% CI, 21.4%-22.3%) survived to hospital discharge, with a median postdischarge survival of 5.0 months (interquartile range, 0.7-16.8 months). Among patients who died in the hospital, 14.9% (95% CI, 14.8%-15.1%) received CPR during their terminal admission. From 2000 to 2011, there was an increase in the incidence of CPR (1.0 events per 1000 in-hospital days; 95% CI, 0.9-1.1; to 1.6 events per 1000 in-hospital days; 95% CI, 1.6-1.7; P for trend <.001), the proportion of CPR recipients who survived to discharge (15.2%; 95% CI, 11.1%-20.5%; to 28%; 95% CI, 26.7%-29.4%; P for trend <.001), and the proportion of in-hospital deaths preceded by CPR (9.5%; 95% CI, 8.4%-10.8%; to 19.8%; 95% CI, 19.2%-20.4%; P for trend <.001), with no substantial change in duration of postdischarge survival.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

Among a national cohort of patients receiving maintenance dialysis, the incidence of CPR was higher and long-term survival worse than reported for other populations.

Do not resuscitate orders and aging: impact of multimorbidity on the decision-making process

BACKGROUND

The "Do Not Resuscitate" orders (DNR) are defined as advance medical directives to withhold cardiopulmonary resuscitation during cardiac arrest. Age-related multimorbidity may influence the DNR decision-making process. Our objective was to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis of published data examining the relationship between DNR orders and multimorbidity in older patients.

METHODS

A systematic Medline and Cochrane literature search limited to human studies published in English and French was conducted on August 2012, with no date limits, using the following Medical Subject Heading terms: "resuscitation orders" OR "do-not-resuscitate" combined with "aged, 80 and over" combined with "comorbidities" OR "chronic diseases".

RESULTS

Of the 65 selected studies, 22 met the selection criteria for inclusion in the qualitative analysis. DNR orders were positively associated with multimorbidity in 21 studies (95%). The meta-analysis included 7 studies with a total of 27,707 participants and 5065 DNR orders. It confirmed that multimorbidity were associated with DNR orders (summary OR = 1.25 [95% CI: 1.19-1.33]). The relationship between DNR orders and multimorbidity differed according to the nature of morbidities; the summary OR for DNR orders was 1.15 (95% CI: 1.07-1.23) for cognitive impairment, OR=2.58 (95% CI: 2.08-3.20) for cancer, OR=1.07 (95% CI: 0.92-1.24) for heart diseases (i.e., coronary heart disease or congestive heart failure), and OR=1.97 (95% CI: 1.61-2.40) for stroke.

CONCLUSIONS

This systematic review and meta-analysis showed that DNR orders are positively associated with multimorbidity, and especially with three morbidities, which are cognitive impairment, cancer and stroke.

Prognosis and management of chronic kidney disease (CKD) at the end of life

The prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) increases with age. As people are living longer, nephrologists are responsible for a progressively older cohort of patients with substantial comorbidities. Patients with CKD have a significant symptom burden and can benefit from intervention and symptom control from an early stage in the illness. It is also increasingly recognised that renal replacement therapy may not always offer an improvement in symptoms or a survival advantage to older patients with high levels of comorbidity. For these reasons, non-dialytic (conservative) management and end-of-life care is becoming part of routine nephrology practice. Such patients will also frequently be encountered in other specialities, requiring generalists to have some renal-specific skills and knowledge. Although there have been significant advances in this field in recent years, the optimum model of care and some of the care preferences of patients remain challenges that need to be addressed.

Insight into advance care planning for patients on dialysis

CONTEXT

Advance care planning is not included in regular clinical care for patients on dialysis. Insight into life-sustaining treatment preferences and communication about end-of-life care is necessary to develop interventions to improve advance care planning for patients on dialysis.

OBJECTIVES

This cross-sectional observational study aimed to understand the preferences for life-sustaining treatments of outpatients on dialysis and to study the quality of patient-physician communication about end-of-life care and barriers and facilitators to this communication.

METHODS

The following outcomes were assessed in 80 clinically stable dialysis patients: demographics, clinical characteristics, life-sustaining treatment preferences (cardiopulmonary resuscitation and mechanical ventilation, and Willingness to Accept Life-Sustaining Treatment instrument), preference for site of death, quality of communication (Quality of Communication Questionnaire), and barriers and facilitators to communication about end-of-life care (Barriers and Facilitators Questionnaire).

RESULTS

Patients were able to indicate their preferences for life-sustaining treatments and site of death. Preferences for life-sustaining treatments depend on the specific treatment, the expected outcome of treatment, and likelihood of an adverse outcome. Life-sustaining preferences were discussed with the nephrologist by 30.3% of the patients. Quality of the patient-physician communication about end-of-life care was rated poor. This study identified several barriers and facilitators to end-of-life care communication.

CONCLUSION

Patients should receive information about treatment burden, expected outcome, and the likelihood of an adverse outcome when discussing life-sustaining treatments. Quality of patient-physician communication about end-of-life care needs to improve. Barriers and facilitators to communication about end-of-life care provide direction for future interventions to facilitate advance care planning for patients on dialysis.

The ethics of end-of-life care for patients with ESRD

Patients with ESRD have extensive and unique palliative care needs, often for years before death. The vast majority of patients, however, dies in acute care facilities without accessing palliative care services. High mortality rates along with a substantial burden of physical, psychosocial, and spiritual symptoms and an increasing prevalence of decisions to withhold and stop dialysis all highlight the importance of integrating palliative care into the comprehensive management of ESRD patients. The focus of renal care would then extend to controlling symptoms, communicating prognosis, establishing goals of care, and determining end-of-life care preferences. Regretfully, training in palliative care for nephrology trainees is inadequate. This article will provide a conceptual framework for renal palliative care and describe opportunities for enhancing palliative care for ESRD patients, including improved chronic pain management and advance care planning and a new model for delivering high-quality palliative care that includes appropriate consultation with specialist palliative care.

End-of-life care preferences and needs: perceptions of patients with chronic kidney disease

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Despite high mortality rates, surprisingly little research has been done to study chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients' preferences for end-of-life care. The objective of this study was to evaluate end-of-life care preferences of CKD patients to help identify gaps between current end-of-life care practice and patients' preferences and to help prioritize and guide future innovation in end-of-life care policy.

DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, & MEASUREMENTS

A total of 584 stage 4 and stage 5 CKD patients were surveyed as they presented to dialysis, transplantation, or predialysis clinics in a Canadian, university-based renal program between January and April 2008.

RESULTS

Participants reported relying on the nephrology staff for extensive end-of- life care needs not currently systematically integrated into their renal care, such as pain and symptom management, advance care planning, and psychosocial and spiritual support. Participants also had poor self-reported knowledge of palliative care options and of their illness trajectory. A total of 61% of patients regretted their decision to start dialysis. More patients wanted to die at home (36.1%) or in an inpatient hospice (28.8%) compared with in a hospital (27.4%). Less than 10% of patients reported having had a discussion about end-of-life care issues with their nephrologist in the past 12 months.

CONCLUSIONS

Current end-of-life clinical practices do not meet the needs of patients with advanced CKD.

A systematic review of factors influencing decision-making in adults living with chronic kidney disease

OBJECTIVE

To identify factors influencing patient involvement in decision-making in the context of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and effective interventions to support their decision-making needs.

METHODS

A systematic review included studies and decision support tools that involved: (1) adults with CKD, (2) studies published from 1998-2008; and (3) a focus on patient decision-making needs, and/or barriers and facilitators to shared decision-making. Studies were quality appraised.

RESULTS

Forty studies were appraised. These studies mainly focused on the decisions patients with CKD faced around the choice of renal replacement therapy and withholding/withdrawing dialysis. Moreover, studies typically focused on health care professional's provision of information about the decision rather than identifying decisional conflict and supporting patients in decision-making. No studies were found that identified the patient's point of view about factors that might influence or inhibit quality decision-making. Factors influencing CKD patient's participation in decision included: (1) interpersonal relationships; (2) preservation of current well being, normality and quality of life; (3) need for control; and (4) personal importance on benefits and risks. Of the four patient decision aids identified, none had been evaluated for effectiveness.

CONCLUSION

Patients with CKD face decisions that are likely to cause decisional conflict. Most studies focused on information needs related to renal replacement therapy and withdrawing or withholding dialysis. There was less focus on other decision-making needs in the context of those choices and across the trajectory of CKD. Although patient decision aids and implementation of shared decision-making have been evaluated in patients with other medical conditions, little is known about interventions to support patients with CKD making quality decisions.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

Patients with CKD have decision-making needs across the trajectory of their illness. Although little is known about supporting patients with CKD decision-making, support could be provided with protocols and tools that have been developed for other chronic illness situations. Development of CKD-specific clinical practice guidelines that include decision support best practices could benefit CKD patients. Research priorities include development and evaluation of CKD focused decision support tools and processes.

The creation of an advance care planning process for patients with ESRD

Comprehensive care of patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) requires expertise in advance care planning (ACP), including attention to ethical, psychosocial, and spiritual issues related to starting, continuing, withholding, and stopping dialysis therapy. ACP currently is under evolution from a document-driven decision-focused event. This article describes a new approach to ACP that emphasizes a relational patient-centered process that focuses on broader goals of care for a particular dialysis patient with known medical problems and is designed to serve as a guide to help nephrologists, social workers, and other health care professionals explore ACP discussions with their patients with ESRD. Specifically, we define ACP, highlight goals and key features of this facilitated ACP process, and provide an interview guide with examples of questions that can be used to explore the various aspects of ACP with patients and their families. Outcomes of such an ACP process will not be measured by increasing the number of completed advance directives, but by improving satisfaction with the entire end-of-life experience and having outcomes match patient preferences. It is expected that such a process will enhance shared decision making among patient, surrogate, and health care provider and help build strong and intimate relationships that can only serve to enhance end-of-life care. Throughout this process, patients are not abandoned as they confront the realities of declining health and functional status, but rather are supported through their illness and life on dialysis treatment.

Modifications to advanced life support in renal failure

The outcome of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) has been reported to be worse in patients with renal failure compared with those with normal renal function. It is likely that this increased mortality may be at least partly attributable to sub-optimal and highly variable treatment strategies used in cardiac arrest in patients with renal failure, but this issue has not previously been explored. Such patients undoubtedly pose a challenge to advanced life support (ALS) providers, and renal unit staff are not trained to provide specialist advice after a patient has sustained a cardiac arrest. There are few studies investigating the epidemiology, safety or outcome of cardiac arrest in patients with renal failure and there are no generally accepted resuscitation guidelines for this special circumstance. In this article we discuss the unique problems of resuscitating patients with renal failure and propose a suitable management strategy.

Hope and advance care planning in patients with end stage renal disease: qualitative interview study

OBJECTIVE

To understand hope in the context of advance care planning from the perspective of patients with end stage renal disease.

DESIGN

Qualitative in-depth interview study.

SETTING

Outpatient department of a university affiliated nephrology programme.

PARTICIPANTS

19 patients with end stage renal disease purposively selected from the renal insufficiency, haemodialysis, and peritoneal dialysis clinics.

RESULTS

Patients' hopes were highly individualised and were shaped by personal values. They reflected a preoccupation with their daily lives. Participants identified hope as central to the process of advance care planning in that hope helped them to determine future goals of care and provided insight into the perceived benefits of advance care planning and their willingness to engage in end of life discussions. More information earlier in the course of the illness focusing on the impact on daily life, along with empowerment of the patient and enhancing professional and personal relationships, were key factors in sustaining patients' ability to hope. This helped them to imagine possibilities for a future that were consistent with their values and hopes. The reliance on health professionals to initiate end of life discussions and the daily focus of clinical care were seen as potential barriers to hope.

CONCLUSIONS

Facilitated advance care planning through the provision of timely appropriate information can positively enhance rather than diminish patients' hope. Current practices concerning disclosure of prognosis are ethically and psychologically inadequate in that they do not meet the needs of patients.

Facilitating advance care planning for patients with end-stage renal disease: the patient perspective

Comprehensive care of patients with ESRD requires expertise in advance care planning (ACP), including attention to ethical, psychosocial, and spiritual issues related to starting, continuing, withholding, and stopping dialysis. However, there are no standards of care regarding when to initiate or how to facilitate ACP. The purpose of this study was to determine the perspectives of patients with ESRD of the salient elements of ACP discussions. An ethnographic, qualitative, in-depth interview study was conducted of outpatients of a university-affiliated nephrology program. Twenty-four patients with ESRD were purposively selected from the renal insufficiency, hemodialysis, and peritoneal dialysis clinics. Establishing patient "buy-in" by identifying perceived benefits of ACP along with acknowledging patients' sense of personal empowerment were critical both for the effective framing of facilitated ACP and for determining patients' ability to participate in facilitated ACP. Patients required more information and earlier initiation of ACP discussions. Information needed to focus more on the individual and how his or her illness and interventions would affect his or her life and relationships and what he or she values most. Empathetic listening also was viewed as an integral component of facilitated ACP. Physicians clearly were seen as having the responsibility for initiating and guiding ACP. The role of patients and family within ACP is complex and varies significantly between patients. For most, family was an integral component of ACP, and many relied extensively on family to make end-of-life decisions. These findings identify a precarious tension between patients' preferences in terms of facilitated ACP and current clinical practice.

Factors associated with "do not resuscitate" orders and rates of withdrawal from hemodialysis in the international DOPPS

BACKGROUND

Worldwide statistics on practice patterns regarding "do not resuscitate" (DNR) orders and patient withdrawal from hemodialysis have not been uniformly collected or analyzed.

METHODS

Using data concerning adult hemodialysis patients randomly selected from 308 representative dialysis facilities in France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States participating in the Dialysis Outcomes and Practice Patterns Study, DNR orders were tabulated at study entry from a prevalent cross-section of patients (N = 8615), using multivariate logistic regression to investigate characteristics associated with DNR status, Cox models to identify risk factors for withdrawal from hemodialysis, and scores from the mental component summary (MCS) and physical component summary (PCS) of the SF-36 to assess health-related quality of life.

RESULTS

The United States had the highest prevalence of DNR orders (7.5%) and rate of withdrawal from hemodialysis (3.5 per 100 patient-years). Significant and independent associations with higher odds ratio (OR) of DNR were observed for older age (OR 1.16 per 10 years higher, P = 0.03) and nursing home residence (OR 2.34, P = 0.003), and with higher relative risk (RR) of withdrawal from dialysis (RR 2.38, P < 0.001). Patients who withdrew from hemodialysis died within a mean of 7.8 days and a median of 6.0 days.

CONCLUSION

The higher prevalence of DNR and rate of withdrawal from hemodialysis in the United States are consistent with its greater legal and cultural emphasis on patient autonomy. By showing characteristics associated with these outcomes, this study contributes to our understanding of why hemodialysis patients request DNR or withdraw from treatment.

Predictors and outcome of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) calls in a large haemodialysis unit over a seven-year period

BACKGROUND

Cardiac mortality is the leading cause of death in dialysis patients, with cardiac arrests being most frequent. Our purpose was to determine the epidemiology, predictors and outcomes of calls for cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) occurring in our haemodialysis unit.

METHODS

We reviewed retrospectively all calls for CPR occurring in our unit between August 1997 and December 2004 and compared data to a cohort of chronic haemodialysis patients from our unit. Dialysis sessions performed in the ICUs were not included.

RESULTS

A total of 38 calls occurred over 307,553 sessions, corresponding to an incidence of 0.012%. In a multivariate logistic regression model, statistically significant predictors to have a call for CPR were ischaemic heart disease (OR: 3.93; 95% CI: 1.70-9.07), heart failure (OR: 2.74; 95% CI: 1.12-6.74) and female gender (OR: 2.96; 95% CI: 1.37-6.43). Patients who had a call for CPR had a lower dialysis vintage than control patients (OR: 0.98; 95% CI: 0.965-0.996). Twenty of the 38 events presented on Mondays or Tuesdays (P = 0.012); 78% occurred during haemodialysis, vs 14 and 8% immediately after and immediately before dialysis but still on the unit, respectively. Of the 38 events, 24 were true cardiopulmonary arrests. Cardiac etiology was the most frequent (34%) and only 4 events were attributed to potassium disorders. One quarter of patients were dialyzed against a dialysate potassium concentration of 1 mmol/l or below. An arrhythmia was identified in 19 patients; a malignant ventricular fibrillation or ventricular tachycardia was most frequently found (32%), followed by severe bradycardia (26%). For the whole group, there were 6 deaths (16%) within 48 h; 30 patients (79%) were alive at 30 days and discharged from the hospital. Among the 24 cardiopulmonary arrests, there were 4 deaths (17%) within 48 h; 18 patients (75%) were alive at 30 days and discharged from the hospital. There was a trend for worse prognosis at 60 days when related to cardiopulmonary etiology (P = 0.054) and when a true cardiopulmonary arrest occurred (P = 0.134).

CONCLUSIONS

This study confirms that arrest codes occur more frequently on Mondays and Tuesdays in a haemodialysis unit. Survival after an arrest code appears to be better than in certain other circumstances, probably in part because of the presence of witness, physician and equipment, and vascular access being readily available.

Advance care planning in elderly chronic dialysis patients

Despite the usefulness of advance directives, most dialysis patients do not complete them. Current views of the advance care planning process emphasize that development of a specific written advance directive is only one small part of the process. Patients and families use advance care planning discussions to plan for death, achieve control over their health care, and strengthen relationships. Studies of chronic dialysis patients have shown that discussions about end-of-life care occur within the patient-family and not the patient-physician relationship. Successful advance care planning requires that dialysis care providers incorporate end-of-life care wishes and palliative care into the overall health care plans for their patients. This review focuses on the past impediments to achieving useful advance directives among dialysis patients and their families and provides some suggestions to improving this important aspect of dialysis patient care.

Do not resuscitate orders and iatrogenic arrest during dialysis: should "No" mean "No"?

An iatrogenic arrest is a cardiopulmonary arrest induced by a therapeutic effort. Frequently cardiopulmonary arrests during hemodialysis (HD) are iatrogenic. In this article I consider the question of what to do when a cardiopulmonary arrest occurs during HD in a patient with a do not resuscitate (DNR) order. I consider and reject four arguments to override the DNR order: the principle of nonmaleficence, the efficacy of resuscitation, proximate cause, and physician error. Instead, I argue that respect for patient autonomy and patient goals means that DNR orders must be respected unless there is compelling evidence that overriding the DNR would be consistent with the patient's goals. If such evidence is lacking, the physician has no moral choice but to follow the DNR order literally. As such, nephrologists need better communication with their patients regarding advance care planning and better documentation of their communication once it has occurred.

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation and dialysis: outcome and patients' views

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) was initially described as an intervention to be used in otherwise healthy individuals suffering acute cardiorespiratory arrest. Over the years, CPR has been extended to all hospitalized patients unless specific orders not to resuscitate have been written with the informed consent of the patient and/or surrogate. The 14-15% survival to hospital discharge reported for in-hospital CPR has not changed over the past three decades. Compared with other diseases, chronic kidney disease reduces long-term survival (more than 6 months) following CPR, and the functional status of the few who survive is often quite poor. Nevertheless, most dialysis patients want to be resuscitated. Unfortunately television shows portraying resuscitation imply that survival after CPR is much more common than it really is. Such misinformation contributes to the overwhelming choice for CPR despite the dismal prognosis. Dialysis unit staff need to educate patients and families about the expected success and complications of CPR as part of the advance care planning process that should now be routine.