End-of-life practices in patients admitted to pediatric intensive care units in Brazil: A retrospective study
J. pediatr. (Rio J.)
;
97(5): 525-530, Sept.-Oct. 2021. tab
Article
in English
| LILACS
| ID: biblio-1340168
ABSTRACT
Abstract Objective:
To determine the prevalence of life support limitation (LSL) in patients who died after at least 24 h of a pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) stay, parent participation and to describe how this type of care is delivered.Methods:
Retrospective cohort study in a tertiary PICU at a university hospital in Brazil. All patients aged 1 month to 18 years who died were eligible for inclusion. The exclusion criteria were those brain death and death within 24 h of admission.Results:
53 patients were included in the study. The prevalence of a LSL report was 45.3%. Out of 24 patients with a report of LSL on their medical records only 1 did not have a donot-resuscitate order. Half of the patients with a report of LSL had life support withdrawn. The length of their PICU stay, age, presence of parents at the time of death, and severity on admission, calculated by the Pediatric Index of Mortality 2, were higher in patients with a report of LSL. Compared with other historical cohorts, there was a clear increase in the prevalence of LSL and, most importantly, a change in how limitations are carried out, with a high prevalence of parental participation and an increase in withdrawal of life support.Conclusions:
LSLs were associated with older and more severely ill patients, with a high prevalence of family participation in this process. The historical comparison showed an increase in LSL and in the withdrawal of life support.
Full text:
Available
Index:
LILACS (Americas)
Main subject:
Terminal Care
/
Life Support Care
Type of study:
Observational study
/
Risk factors
Limits:
Child
/
Humans
/
Infant
Country/Region as subject:
South America
/
Brazil
Language:
English
Journal:
J. pediatr. (Rio J.)
Journal subject:
Pediatrics
Year:
2021
Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Brazil
Institution/Affiliation country:
Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS)/BR
/
Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS)/BR
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