Respiratory care
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Editorial Multicenter Study
Respiratory Therapists' Experiences and Attitudes Regarding Terminal Extubations and End-of-Life Care.
Respiratory therapists (RTs) routinely care for patients with life-limiting illnesses and in some hospitals are responsible for terminal extubations. Data on how such experiences affect RTs are scarce. The objective of this work was to survey RTs at 2 academic medical centers about their experiences caring for patients with terminal extubations. ⋯ RTs are rarely involved in end-of-life discussions despite a desire to be, and they experience situations that generate discomfort. There is demand for more formal RT training around care for terminal patients. Clinical protocols that involve RTs in meetings before ventilator withdrawal should be considered.