title: [When the end is near: an ICU patient who died at home].
abstract: We describe the process of transferring a 64-year-old male from a Dutch intensive care unit to his home so that he could die there. He was a respirator-dependent cardiac surgical patient; his intensive care treatment had been withdrawn. We describe the requirements regarding the transfer of care, the role of the nursing staff and documentation of the process. We discuss the natural cause of death and subsequent administrative steps. Based on the positive reactions of the patient and his family, we propose to incorporate this process into Dutch intensive care practice guidelines.
authors.affiliation: Universitair Medisch Centrum Groningen, Afd. Anesthesie, the Netherlands. a.j.de.vries@anest.umcg.nl
authors.forename: A J Hans
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: de Vries
authors.forename: Eric H J
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: van Wijlick
authors.forename: Jaap M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Blom
authors.forename: Ina
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Meijer
authors.forename: Jan G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Zijlstra
mesh_terms: D003422:Critical Care / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D003657:Decision Making; D004282:Documentation; D005066:Euthanasia, Passive; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D008020:Life Support Care; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009426:Netherlands; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D013727:Terminal Care / Q000379:methods*; D028761:Withholding Treatment