Improving care for patients dying in the intensive care unit.
It is impossible for ICU clinicians to avoid caring for dying patients and their families. For many, this is an extremely rewarding aspect of their clinical practice. There is ample evidence that there is room to improve the care of patients who are near death in the ICU. Despite the considerable holes in our knowledge about optimal care of dying critically ill patients, there is considerable agreement on the general principles of caring for these patients and about how to measure the outcomes of palliative care in the ICU. Practical approaches to improving the quality of end-of-life care exist and should be implemented.
Rubenfeld
Gordon D
GD
Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Harborview Medical Center, University of Washington, 325 Ninth Avenue, Seattle, WA 98104-2499, USA. nodrog@u.washington.edu
Curtis
J Randall
JR
D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units / Q000592:standards*; D017064:Process Assessment, Health Care; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D013727:Terminal Care; D028761:Withholding Treatment