Limitación de soporte vital. Cuidados paliativos y final de vida en UCI / Limitation of life support. Palliative care and end of life in ICU / Limitació de suport vital. Cures pal·liatives i final de vida a l' UCI

La misión de los cuidados intensivos es restaurar la situación basal de salud libre de discapacidad severa atendiendo al principio bioético de beneficencia, respetando la dignidad y voluntad del paciente de ser tratado lo que vendría a ser atender al principio bioético de autonomía, y realizando todo esto de una forma adecuada a la mejor evidencia actual, justa y sostenible atendiendo a los principios de no maleficencia y de justicia. Cuando no es posible es cuando los profesionales tienen la obligación ética de iniciar un diálogo de manera respetuosa y prudente con el  paciente y/o la familia y el resto de profesionales implicados (atención primaria, enfermería, especialistas...etc.) de cara a llegar a un consenso sobre limitar los tratamientos de soporte vital y/o adecuar  los cuidados y continuar el tratamiento con un plan terapéutico de cuidados dirigidos al confort, control de síntomas y a mejorar la calidad de vida (Plan de cuidados paliativos) para preservar la dignidad del paciente, evitar el sufrimiento y proporcionar un tratamiento compasivo de soporte y acompañamiento durante el proceso de muerte si se diera el mismo atendiendo al paciente y a la familia con el máximo cuidado y respeto en un marco de humanización de la salud. Atender de forma excelente el final de la vida significa dignificar a las personas que están pasando por ese proceso, aportar un valor extraordinario de humanidad y debe ser un objetivo prioritario actual en nuestro quehacer diario en las unidades de cuidados intensivos

The mission of intensive care is to restore the baseline health situation free of severe disability by following the bioethical principle of beneficence, respecting the dignity and willingness of the patient to be treated what would be to attend to the bioethical principle of autonomy, and doing all this in a manner appropriate to the best current, fair and sustainable evidence, taking into account the principles of non-maleficence and justice. When it is not possible, it is when professionals have the ethical obligation to initiate a dialogue in a respectful and prudent manner with the patient and / or the family and the rest of the professionals involved (primary care, nursing, specialists ... etc.) Face to reach a consensus on limiting life support treatments and / or adapt care and continue treatment with a therapeutic plan of care aimed at comfort, symptom control and improving the quality of life (Palliative Care Plan) to preserve the dignity of the patient, avoid suffering and provide a compassionate support and support during the death process if the same were given to the patient and the family with the utmost care and respect in a framework of humanization of health. Addressing the end of life in an excellent way means dignifying the people who are going through this process, providing an extraordinary value of humanity and must be a current priority in our daily work in the intensive care units

La finalitat de la vigilància intensiva és restaurar la situació basal de salut lliure de discapacitat severa atenent al principi bioètic de beneficència, respectant la dignitat I voluntat del pacient de ser tractat, cosa que vindria a ser atendre al principi bioètic d'autonomia, I realitzant tot això d'una forma adequada a la millor evidència actual, justa I sostenible, atesos els principis de no maleficència I de justícia. Quan tot això no és possible és quan els professionals tenen l'obligació ètica d'iniciar un diàleg de manera respectuosa I prudent amb el pacient i/o la família I amb la resta de professionals implicats (atenció primària, infermeria, especialistes...etc.) de cara a arribar a un consens sobre limitar els tractaments de suport vital i/o adequar les cures I continuar el tractament amb un pla terapèutic de cures dirigides al confort, el control de símptomes I a millorar la qualitat de vida (Pla de Cures Pal·liatives) per a preservar la dignitat del pacient, evitar el sofriment I proporcionar-li un tractament compassiu de suport I acompanyament durant el procés de mort, atenent el pacient I a la família amb la màxima cura I respecte en un marc d'humanització de la salut. Atendre de forma excel·lent el final de la vida significa dignificar les persones que están passant per aquest procés, aportar un valor extraordinari d'humnaitat I ha de ser un objectiu prioritari actual en el nostre qufer diari en les unitats de vigilancia intensiva

Basic life support knowledge of first-year university students from Brazil

We aimed to evaluate knowledge of first aid among new undergraduates and whether it is affected by their chosen course. A questionnaire was developed to assess knowledge of how to activate the Mobile Emergency Attendance Service - MEAS (Serviço de Atendimento Móvel de Urgência; SAMU), recognize a pre-hospital emergency situation and the first aid required for cardiac arrest. The students were also asked about enrolling in a first aid course. Responses were received from 1038 of 1365 (76.04%) new undergraduates. The questionnaires were completed in a 2-week period 1 month after the beginning of classes. Of the 1038 respondents (59.5% studying biological sciences, 11.6% physical sciences, and 28.6% humanities), 58.5% knew how to activate the MEAS/SAMU (54.3% non-biological vs 61.4% biological, P=0.02), with an odds ratio (OR)=1.39 (95%CI=1.07-1.81) regardless of age, sex, origin, having a previous degree or having a relative with cardiac disease. The majority could distinguish emergency from non-emergency situations. When faced with a possible cardiac arrest, 17.7% of the students would perform chest compressions (15.5% non-biological vs 19.1% biological first-year university students, P=0.16) and 65.2% would enroll in a first aid course (51.1% non-biological vs 74.7% biological, P<0.01), with an OR=2.61 (95%CI=1.98-3.44) adjusted for the same confounders. Even though a high percentage of the students recognized emergency situations, a significant proportion did not know the MEAS/SAMU number and only a minority had sufficient basic life support skills to help with cardiac arrest. A significant proportion would not enroll in a first aid course. Biological first-year university students were more prone to enroll in a basic life support course.

Basic life support knowledge of first-year university students from Brazil.

We aimed to evaluate knowledge of first aid among new undergraduates and whether it is affected by their chosen course. A questionnaire was developed to assess knowledge of how to activate the Mobile Emergency Attendance Service - MEAS (Serviço de Atendimento Móvel de Urgência; SAMU), recognize a pre-hospital emergency situation and the first aid required for cardiac arrest. The students were also asked about enrolling in a first aid course. Responses were received from 1038 of 1365 (76.04%) new undergraduates. The questionnaires were completed in a 2-week period 1 month after the beginning of classes. Of the 1038 respondents (59.5% studying biological sciences, 11.6% physical sciences, and 28.6% humanities), 58.5% knew how to activate the MEAS/SAMU (54.3% non-biological vs 61.4% biological, P=0.02), with an odds ratio (OR)=1.39 (95%CI=1.07-1.81) regardless of age, sex, origin, having a previous degree or having a relative with cardiac disease. The majority could distinguish emergency from non-emergency situations. When faced with a possible cardiac arrest, 17.7% of the students would perform chest compressions (15.5% non-biological vs 19.1% biological first-year university students, P=0.16) and 65.2% would enroll in a first aid course (51.1% non-biological vs 74.7% biological, P<0.01), with an OR=2.61 (95%CI=1.98-3.44) adjusted for the same confounders. Even though a high percentage of the students recognized emergency situations, a significant proportion did not know the MEAS/SAMU number and only a minority had sufficient basic life support skills to help with cardiac arrest. A significant proportion would not enroll in a first aid course. Biological first-year university students were more prone to enroll in a basic life support course.

[Limiting life sustaining therapies]. / Limitations des thérapeutiques actives en réanimation.

INTRODUCTION: Intensivists are increasingly implementing end-of-life decisions in patients who remain dependent on life sustaining therapies without hope for recovery. STATE OF THE ART: Descriptive studies have provided epidemiological data on ICU end-of-life care, identifying areas for improvement. Qualitative studies have highlighted the complexity of the decision making process. In addition to considering the legal and ethical issues involved, this review describes cultural, religious and individual variations observed in ICU end-of-life care. It is important for intensivists to respect patients' preferences and values, but also, in some family members, to avoid increasing the burden and the guilt of sharing the decision. CONCLUSION: Intensivists should improve their ability to meet the needs of dying patients and their family members. Each situation, patient, family and caregiver is unique, and therefore needs a specific approach. Introducing palliative care and multidisciplinary teams into the ICU might provide an additional opportunity for patients and families to be informed and listened to.

Advanced life support vs basic life support field care: an outcome study.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether the provision of advanced life support (ALS) field care has any impact on patient outcome in the urban Canadian environment. METHODS: A convenience cohort study was conducted of all emergent ambulance transfers of adults to an urban Canadian hospital from May 22 to July 31, 1996. Data were collected from ambulance call reports regarding presenting complaint and field interventions applied, and from hospital records regarding time in the ED, hospital length of stay (LOS), and discharge disposition. Patient outcomes were compared within 7 presenting complaint groups (chest pain, altered level of consciousness, shortness of breath, abdominal pain, motor vehicle crash, falls, and other) by field care level: level 1--BLS (basic life support) vs levels 2 and 3--ALS. RESULTS: The study population consisted of 1,397 patients. No significant differences were seen between BLS and ALS patients on baseline demographics. ED triage score did not depend on field care level for any group, implying that those in the ALS group were not inherently sicker. Outcome measures (ED LOS, admission rates, and hospital LOS) showed no significant differences between BLS and ALS for each presenting complaint group. Discharge dispositions were analyzed by chi2 but were not varied enough to allow reliable analysis. Observation of trends suggested no difference between BLS and ALS. CONCLUSIONS: There was no beneficial impact on the measured patient outcomes found in association with the provision of ALS vs BLS field care in Metropolitan Toronto for patients who were brought to a nontrauma center.

Basic Life Support and Advanced Cardiac Life Support changes.

Short article that delineates recent changes in Basic Life Support and Advanced Cardiac Life Support. These changes are based on recommendations from the 1992 National Conference on Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and Emergency Cardiac Care (ECC).

The association of advanced life support training and decreased per capita trauma death rates: an analysis of 12,417 trauma deaths.

This study identified a number of significant predictors of per capita county trauma mortality rates: rurality, percentage nonwhite population, percentage unemployment, and Advanced Life Support (ALS) versus Basic Life Support (BLS) status. Of these, ALS versus BLS status is not only the most significant independent predictor, it is the only predictor readily amenable to change. The aspects of ALS clearly associated with decreased trauma death rates should be identified and, if possible, undergo widespread implementation.