Literature review
Although there is some literature on outcome in palliative care
,
,
and there is also literature on the quality of sedation in ICU and anaesthesiology
,
, there is no literature on outcome protocols for palliative sedation. In palliative care the indication and aim of sedation is the reduction of distress in near proximity to death due to the progress of an incurable illness. Outcome must consider this specific situation. The intention of sedation in intensive care concentrates on the attenuation of stress response and compliance in the management of critical illness and/or mechanical support of organ failure. The level and kind of sedation in intensive care is more related to the avoidance of complications and improvement of the clinical state, while in palliative care the main goal is the improvement of quality of life by alleviation of subjective distress in the awareness of the proximity to death
Comments
