Palliative Sedation

A Favorable Course of Palliative Sedation: Searching for Indicators Using Caregivers' Perspectives.

Brinkkemper T, Rietjens JA, Deliens L, Ribbe MW, Swart SJ, Loer SA, Zuurmond WW, Perez RS.

Am J Hosp Palliat Care. 2013 Dec 2.

 Source

1Department of Anaesthesiology, VU University Medical Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

Comparing characteristics of a favorable sedation course during palliative sedation to a less favorable course based on the reports Dutch physicians and nurses.

RESULTS:

Cases identified as having a favorable sedation course less often concerned a male patient (P = .019 nurses' cases), 
reached the intended sedation depth significantly quicker (P < .05 both nurses and physicians' cases), 
reached a deeper level of sedation (P = .015 physicians' cases), 
and had a shorter total duration of sedation compared (P < .001 physicians' cases) to patients with a less favorable sedation course.

CONCLUSIONS:

A favorable course during palliative sedation seems more probable when health care professionals report on a (relatively) shorter time to reach the required depth of sedation and when a deeper level of sedation can be obtained.

KEYWORDS:

depth of sedation, nurses, palliative sedation, physicians, questionnaire, retrospective