Analysis of terminal events in 109 successive deaths in a Belgian intensive care unit.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the incidence of end-of-life decisions in intensive care unit (ICU) patients.


METHODS
Prospective data collection and questionnaire in a 31-bed medicosurgical ICU in a university hospital.


METHODS
All 109 ICU patients who died during a 3-month period (April-June 2001). Members of the ICU team were also invited to complete a questionnaire regarding the circumstances of each patient's death. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation was performed in 21 of the patients; other mechanisms leading to death were brain death (n=19), refractory shock (n=17), and refractory hypoxemia (n=2). The decision was taken in the remaining 50 patients to withdraw (n=43) or withhold (n=7) therapy. Questionnaires were completed for 68 patients, by physician and nurse in 40 cases, physician only in 20 cases, and nurse only in 8 cases. Questionnaires were obtained for 34 of 50 patients for whom a decision was made to limit therapy.


RESULTS
Respondents generally felt that the decision was timely (n=28, 82%), 5 (15%) felt the decision was too late, and one (3%) that the decision was made too soon, before the family could be informed.


CONCLUSIONS
Therapeutic limitations are frequent in patients dying in the ICU, with withdrawing more common than withholding life support. Generally members of the ICU staff were satisfied with the end-of-life decisions made.
Gajewska
Kalina
K
Department of Intensive Care, Erasme University Hospital, Route de Lennik 808, 1070 Brussels, Belgium.
Schroeder
Michele
M
De Marre
Francoise
F
Vincent
Jean-Louis
JL
D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001530:Belgium; D002423:Cause of Death; D003657:Decision Making; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008020:Life Support Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital; D010820:Physicians; D011446:Prospective Studies; D028761:Withholding Treatment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*