Upcoming Webcast: Palliative Sedation in the ICU

Registration is now open for Palliative Sedation in the ICU, the latest webcast from the Society of Critical Care Medicine’s (SCCM) Controversies in Critical Care series. Palliative sedation remains a complex and contentious topic in the intensive care unit (ICU). Douglas B. White, MD, will begin the discussion by introducing the topic of palliative sedation. Expert faculty will then debate about when and under what conditions such treatment is warranted and what types of sedation regimens are included under this rubric. Margaret L. Campbell, PhD, RN, FPCN, will discuss clinical considerations for use of palliative sedation in the ICU, and Mark Siegel, MD, will review the ethical foundations and potential pitfalls with this form of sedation.

Learning Objectives

• Distinguish palliative sedation from the use of opioids/sedatives for symptom management
• Identify clinical reasons to continue ICU care with palliative sedation using case examples
• Explain  ethical arguments for and against palliative sedation and its use in the ICU
• Contrast palliative sedation to euthanasia and decisions to forgo life-sustaining treatment

This webcast will take place on Wednesday, August 13, 2014, at 1:00 p.m. Central Time. Participants will receive 1 hour of continuing education credit.

Register online today using your customer ID and password. The registration fee for this 60-minute webcast is $30 ($40 for nonmembers). For institutions seeking unlimited participation at a single location, a $200 group rate is available. Please contact SCCM Customer Service at +1 847 827-6888 to inquire about the group rate.

The Controversies in Critical Care webcast series is a joint project of the SCCM Scientific Review Committee and the American College of Critical Care Medicine’s Ethics Committee. This series is intended to provide insight into topics in critical care medicine for which there is no clear consensus or unequivocal evidence for guiding practice decisions.