Sedation in palliative care – a critical analysis of 7 years experience 英文参考文献.docVIP

BMC Palliative Care BioMedCentral Research article Open Access Sedation in palliative care – a critical analysis of 7 years experience H Christof Muller-Busch*1,2, Inge Andres1 and Thomas Jehser1 Address: 1Department of Palliative Medicine, Gemeinschaftskrankenhaus Havelhoehe, D-14089 Berlin, Germany and 2University Witten/ Herdecke, D-58448 Witten, Germany Email: H Christof Muller-Busch* - muebu@t-online.de; Inge Andres - andresi@t-online.de; Thomas Jehser - tjehser@havelhoehe.de * Corresponding author Published: 13 May 2003 Received: 14 February 2003 Accepted: 13 May 2003 BMC Palliative Care 2003, 2:2 This article is available from: /1472-684X/2/2 ? 2003 Muller-Busch et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. This is an Open Access article: verbatim copying and redistribution of this article are permitted in all media for any purpose, provided this notice is preserved along with the articles original URL. terminal sedationpalliative careethicssymptom controlattitudesadvance directives Abstract Background: The administration of sedatives in terminally ill patients becomes an increasingly feasible medical option in end-of-life care. However, sedation for intractable distress has raised considerable medical and ethical concerns. In our study we provide a critical analysis of seven years experience with the application of sedation in the final phase of life in our palliative care unit. Methods: Medical records of 548 patients, who died in the Palliative Care Unit of GK Havelhoehe between 1995–2002, were retrospectively analysed with regard to sedation in the last 48 hrs of life. The parameters of investigation included indication, choice and kind of sedation, prevalence of intolerable symptoms, patients requests for sedation, state of consciousness and communication abilities during sedation. Critical evaluation included a comparison of the period between 1995– 1999 and 2000–2002. Results: 14.6% (n = 80) of the patients in p