Palliative medicine
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Palliative medicine · Dec 2004
Admission to intensive care unit at the end-of-life: is it an informed decision?
There is a major deficiency in the end-of-life care offered to patients dying in the intensive care unit (ICU). ⋯ Patients who died in the ICU did not have informed discussions of end-of-life or palliative care as an alternative treatment option before admission. The quality of end-of-life care was disrupted for patients with fatal pre-existing chronic disease who were admitted to the ICU before death. Lack of clinical experience, knowledge and competency with end-of-life care influenced admission of patients to ICU regardless of poor prognosis. Decisions regarding the pursuit of aggressive therapy versus palliative care must be addressed with patients by physicians who are competent and experienced in end-of-life care as this will have a profound impact on both the quality of care delivered and effective use of limited hospital resources.